Make Me Fade
by Hedderz1
Summary: Mary's still alive and she's living with Sam and Dean. John is out of the picture. For many years Sam and Dean were safe but things are changing around them. Dean 19, Sam 15.
1. Salt?

**A/N:** **In this story Mary never died on that night in November, John was the one in the nursery instead. Dean happened to walk in on Azazel, preventing him from giving Sam blood. This AU focuses on what the brothers' life with Mary looks like, a life without hunting. As a mother she's very protective but her attempts to keep them safe are jeopardized when the past catches up to her.**

* * *

 _April, 1998, Salt Lake City, Utah_

 _The light coming in through the windows woke Dean. He rolled over with a sigh, waiting. His mom would come in any minute, informing him that it was time for breakfast. Sure enough, the door opened and his mom's head peaked inside._

 _"Breakfast, Dean." He hummed in response and forced himself out of bed. Sam was already up, sitting in the small kitchen of their apartment._

 _"Morning." Dean said as he ruffled his brother's hair, earning himself an annoyed huff. As he sat down Mary handed him a bowl of cereal. Dean saw his brother hesitate, there was something he wanted to say. Questioningly Dean raised one eyebrow but Sam ignored him and turned to their mom._

 _"Mom, Jake asked me if I wanted to join him and Tom to Heber City, his dad has a place there. Is it okay if I go after school? I wouldn't be home too late." Dean saw his mom's shoulders tense and he sighed._ _Seriously? Again?_ _She turned to Sam with stern eyes._

 _"You know I don't like that Sam. I can't risk something happening to you." She said and opened the fridge, pouring herself a glass of juice._

 _"But mom-"_

 _"I said no, Sam." Her definite tone made Sam fall quiet, frustrated defeat written across his face. Dean pinched the bridge of his nose; he was so tired of this._

 _"What could happen to him mom?" She met Dean's gaze; she obviously hadn't expected him to say anything._

 _"Dean, don't." She said with a clear warning in her voice._

 _"No, seriously mom, what could happen? Is some demon going to find us all these years?" Her eyes hardened with anger._

 _"Dean, stop-" Dean ignored his brother._

 _"The chance of you smothering him to death with this protective crap is more probable than him actually running into a demon. You can't protect us forever, mom." Mary looked at him, anger and sadness filling her eyes. She nervously fiddled with the wedding ring she still wore. Setting the glass down, she headed to her bedroom without a word. Sam sighed and stood up._

 _"Thanks a lot, Dean." He said with a glare._

 _"Well, you weren't exactly standing up for yourself Sammy. Go with your friends after school, I'll deal with her." Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed his backpack._

 _"Whatever, see you later." Dean stayed in his seat when Sam had left. He knew he had to get to the garage, Jim wouldn't be happy if he was late again. Before he left he paused to listen, there was no sound coming from his mom's room. Dean hated this, her silence when they had fought. Usually it would be better between them after a few hours. He hoped this time wouldn't be different._

 _When Dean came home he wasn't surprised to find Sam by the table studying. Yet frustration filled him; he had decided not to go with his friends after all. Dean sat down opposite his brother. Sam noticed Dean's tense jaw and put his pen down._

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"I can't do this anymore Sammy. This fighting, it's tiring. I- I have to find that demon who killed dad; it's all I can think about. Mom…you know that's all she thinks about too, but she won't actually look for the demon, she won't risk our safety." Sam met his eyes and nodded._

 _"Are you with me Sammy? Will you help me? Cause if you are we can't tell mom, she'd kill me." Sam chuckled lightly and stared down at his lap. Feeling Dean's wondering eyes on him he looked up after a minute._

 _"Yeah. I always am Dean, you know that." Sam said with a small smile. A spark of hope ignited within Dean, they could do this. He knew deep down that he couldn't bring himself to do it alone, but they could do this together, he was sure of that._

 _"Well, then." He stood up, smiling down at his brother's face. "We got work to do."_

* * *

 _October, 1987, Missoula, Montana._

The room was quiet; the only sound was Dean's even breathing. Sleep wouldn't come and Dean turned frustratedly. He heard small steps outside and then someone carefully opened the door. Dean sat up and scooted to the side, bringing the covers aside so his little brother could climb in.

"Did you have a bad dream, Sammy?" Sam huddled closer as he settled down, his ice cold tiny feet making Dean jerk slightly.

"No, mommy was sad again." He heard the anxious tone in his brother's voice. As he put a reassuring hand on Sam's arm he sighed, it wasn't the first time this had happened. Dean could feel Sam looking up at him with big eyes.

"It's alright Sammy, she'll be fine, okay?" Sam nodded and closed his eyes, seemingly somewhat comforted by Dean's words. Just when Dean felt himself start to drift off Sam broke the silence; he hadn't been asleep like he'd thought.

"Is she sad because of daddy?" Dean felt the lump in his throat grow and he shut his eyes. He couldn't talk to his brother about this, not yet, he was too young. A four year-old shouldn't have to worry about these things.

"Go to sleep now, okay Sammy?" After a minute or so he could hear his brother's light snores. Dean let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

 _April, 1998, Salt Lake City, Utah_

It wasn't the screams that woke Dean this time. The dreams of his mom's screaming coming from the house had haunted his dreams for years. Dean would like to think that after all these years he'd gotten fairly used to them but still he found himself bolting upright covered in sweat, every time. This time it was the demon with yellow eyes. The one that had killed their dad. Dean couldn't be sure if it was just a dream or some part of his memory surfacing but before he woke up he saw those eyes, coming closer. He sat up in his bed, casting a look at the clock on his bedside table. Dean didn't have to get up for another 20 minutes but he didn't want to go back to sleep, those yellow eyes sent chills down his spine. As he headed into the kitchen he was a bit surprised to see that no one was up. Smirking to himself, he made his way to Sam's room.

* * *

Sam was brutally forced to consciousness by sudden light as the blinds were pulled to the sides. He groaned and dragged the covers over his head, the snicker coming from his side revealing Dean's presence.

"Time to wake up Sammy! Get your lazy ass out of bed, another day to study 'til your brain fries, am I right?"

"Seriously Dean? Don't you have anything better to do? It's early you idiot." Sam heard his brother's chuckle.

"Nah, nothing brings me greater joy than to wake you up, Sammy." Sam sat up sharply, irritation forcing him fully awake. He tried to smooth down his tousled hair but failed.

"I am going to kill you Dean." He said through clenched teeth.

"I'd like to see you try." Dean hollered as he went to the kitchen.

"Let's see how much you'll enjoy it when I start waking you up like this." Sam called after him but only got an amused scoff as a response. Reluctantly he got up and quickly made his bed. Muttering curses about his brother under his breath, he headed to the kitchen. Their mother wasn't up yet. Sam rolled his eyes at the sight of Dean struggling by the stove. He leaned back against the counter, debating whether he should save their apartment from an imminent fire.

"Need help?" Dean cast him a dark look and turned back to the stove.

"Shit-no, I'm fine, Sammy." Sam looked over his brother's shoulder and frowned.

"Really? Because that looks like World War III." Dean snorted but didn't say anything, too preoccupied with the disaster taking place in front of them. Sam wrinkled his nose.

"Uhm, Dean? It smells burnt."

"Thank you Sammy for your input. How freaking hard can it be to make an omelet anyway?" Dean said exasperatedly.

"What's with the sudden effort? You never cook, for a good reason I might add." Dean adjusted the heat on the stove and turned to him, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, mom's still kind of pissed and I just thought…you know." Dean sighed and looked at his failed attempt of an apology, his shoulder sagging. "Never mind." Sam felt a little bad; he knew what his brother was feeling. Dean and their mother were often at each other's throats but they usually made peace the same day.

"Hey, know what?" Sam grabbed the pan and threw the contents in the trash can. "Let me do it, I think I know how to make an omelet." Dean chuckled and ruffled Sam's hair.

"Thanks Sammy, but it's okay. Guess I'll just have to talk to her, right?" Sam irritably shrugged his brother's hand away which had only enhanced his hairs resemblance to a bird's nest. Dean gave his hair an amused look.

"Seriously dude, just give me a pair of scissors and-"

"Shut up Dean." Sam muttered and opened the fridge. He sighed when he realized that there was no milk.

"Did you use up all the milk?" Dean raised one eyebrow at Sam's tense jaw and shrugged happily.

"Maybe." He turned his back to Sam, putting the pan in the sink.

"So what the hell am I supposed to put in my cereal, Dean?" His brother scratched his head in mock deep thought.

"Don't know. Juice?" Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience running thin. He stepped closer with clenched fists.

"You know what Dean? I'm so sick of you-"

"Hah, as if that's possible. If you want milk so desperately, I guess you're going to have to go the store or find yourself a cow, Sammy."

"And good morning to you too boys. I see you're showering each other with love as always." Sam and Dean jumped slightly at their mother's voice, both of them stepping back with annoyed scoffs.

"What's that smell?" Mary asked and wrinkled her nose as she poured herself some coffee.

"Sammy's fault." Dean said quickly and gathered his things.

"What?" Sam's voice climbed a few octaves. "Dean, what the hell?" Dean rolled his eyes and ignored him, hesitating before opening the front door.

"Mom, about yesterday, I'm sorry-" She put her cup down and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay Dean, we're fine." He nodded and Sam could see the relieved set to his shoulders. Mary stopped him before he could leave the apartment.

"Wait, will you be home at 6?" Dean pondered for a few seconds and sighed.

"No, mom I have to work late tonight and then I have a date." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Really, who is it this time? Kate or Emily?" Sam asked. Dean was caught off guard, lips pursed in thought.

"Uhm…"  
"Seriously, you don't know? You're all charm, Dean." Sam could hardly be surprised anymore. Dean winked and snickered. Mary sighed and met Dean's eyes.

"Dean, we've talked about this. I don't want you home too late. Be home at 9, okay?" Dean chuckled bitterly, his eyes darkening.

"Yeah mom, I've heard that one-sided conversation before." He grabbed his jacket and opened the door. "Make it 10." He slammed the door after him. Sam sighed inwardly, so much for that peace.

* * *

Dean was relieved to find out that it was Kate he was going on a date with, he'd taken a chance when they'd greeted each other. She'd suggested that they'd go to the diner close to the garage where he worked; she said that she had to work anyway at her store at 21:30. They picked a table close to the windows.

"So," Kate said, looking at the menu. "I guess you're a frequent customer here, what's good?" Dean's stomach rumbled. He'd barely had time to eat today; he'd been so busy with work.

"Yup, but I'm not much for variety, I usually go for the burgers." She laughed and tucked one dark strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, guess I'll just have to trust you then." After ordering they waited, the conversation flowing easily. Dean liked her; they'd only met once before at a party but he hadn't been sober enough to remember much.

"You have a brother right?" She asked curiously. He nodded.

"Yeah, Sammy. Doesn't appreciate me calling him that though. Hardworking kid, guess one of us had to be ambitious." She smiled lightly.

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit Dean, I've heard your friends talk about how hard you work at the garage." He scratched his neck, looking down.

"I guess, but Sammy, he's going to be something someday. Lawyer probably, he deserves it." The waitress arrived with their food, setting it down with a smile. Dean salted his fries and then held it above Kate's plate, pausing when he realized that he should probably ask first.

"Salt?" Her head snapped up, eyes fixing on the little salt container in his hand.

"No, I'm fine." Kate said a little too quickly, pushing his hand away. The sudden movement caused some salt to spill on her hand. She hissed and flinched away. Dean blinked, what had just happened? Her eyes flashed but he couldn't quite see them since she wasn't meeting his puzzled gaze.

"Sorry, you okay?" He asked hesitantly. She looked up hastily; an angelic smile spreading on her lips. Uneasiness filled Dean, something wasn't right.

"Of course, just a muscle spasm I guess." _And mom says I'm a bad liar_.


	2. Two Options

_April, 1984, Boston, Massachusetts_

Dean grabbed his brother's chubby little hand, helping him stand up. His legs were wobbly, not finding their full balance just yet. Babbling happily he looked up at Dean.

"Come on Sammy, you can do it." Mary looked at them with a small smile spreading on her face, setting her paper down.

"Dean, you know he's still very little, he'll be able to walk when he's ready."

"I know mommy, but he's almost one now. I know he can do it." Dean said firmly and placed Sam's hand on the leg of one of the armchairs. Carefully he let go in case Sam would lose his balance. He didn't so Dean took a few steps back, gesturing to his brother to follow. Mary studied them, ready to intervene if Sam should fall.

Sam looked at Dean with a frustrated little frown, he wanted to step closer, confused by this sudden challenge.

"Ean." He said and Dean held his arms out.

"You can do it Sammy, come here." Tentatively, he took a step forward. And then another one. Mary sat up straighter, her face lighting up in surprise. Sam took the last steps to Dean's arms, crying out in delight. Dean caught him before he could fall.

"Good job, Sammy! Did you see mommy? I told you he could do it." Mary kneeled next to them, bringing Sam into her arms with a laugh.

"You can walk Sammy?" She cooed lovingly. Sam struggled in her arms, now eager to try his newfound ability. "Oh, I have to get the camera…" Mary trailed off, sadness clouding her eyes. Sam noticed her mood change and looked to his brother with big eyes.

"Mommy?" Dean asked quietly. He knew that she was thinking about their dad. She stood up, clearing her throat.

"I'm fine Dean. I'll be back in a minute okay?" She said tensely and turned, but not before Dean saw the tears spilling down her cheeks.

* * *

 _April, 1998, Salt Lake City, Utah_

Dean hadn't been completely sure that Sam would actually do it. At the same time, he knew he had it coming. That didn't matter now as ice cold water jerked him awake. In a second he was standing beside the bed, shaking water out of his hair. Shivering, he looked around to see his brother laughing, holding a bowl.

"I always knew you would make a fine impression of a dog, Dean." Dean wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his brother's face.

"What the hell? I was sleeping you moron!" He spat through clenched teeth.

"And now you're not. You were right; it does bring me joy to wake you up like this." Sam said, very pleased with himself.

"But- you little- is this how you want it Sammy? I'll make you sorry for starting this." Sam's brows shot up at the threat.

"I started this? What are you, seven?" Sam stepped closer, eyes fixing on something on Dean's desk. "Hey, is that…" He looked up at his brother with a glare.

"Why is my candy bar on your desk, Dean?" Dean shrugged and grabbed it before Sam could.

"This one? Oh, this is mine." Sam reached for it but Dean quickly held it behind his back. Sam sighed exasperatedly and held out his hand.

"Dean, give it to me. I've been looking for that." Seeing Dean's smug little smile his hand leaped out again. Dean took a step back just in time.

"Why so desperate, huh? It was lying around so I grabbed it, now it's mine. Deal with it." Sam made another attempt and succeeded in grabbing his brother's arm.

"It's just a candy bar for god's sake! And besides, I bought it, it's mine!" Dean struggled against his grip.

"Sharing is caring right, Sammy? You come in here splashing water in my face so if I want this bar; I'm going to take it."

"You already had it before then! Give it back, Dean!" Dean managed to get loose and backed away with a triumphant smile.

"Nope. I'm the oldest and I need it more."

"What? That makes no sense Dean!" Sam exclaimed, affronted.

"Sure it does-"

"Boys!" Mary walked into the room with a sigh. "Can we please have a morning without the two of you fighting? I swear my ears will start bleeding." Sam stepped back with a scoff.

"He started it." Dean rolled his eyes at his brother's childish tone.

"And you say _I'm_ seven?"

* * *

Mary told Dean to drive Sam to school; she said she didn't have time. They didn't speak to each other at first, the awkward air in the car made Sam uncomfortable. He decided to break the silence.

"So, how did your date go last night?" Dean chuckled to himself.

"Wish I knew, Sammy. It was weird, I can tell you that."

"What do you mean?" Dean shrugged.

"Everything was going fine and then I accidentally spilled some salt on her hand. She acted like I'd just poured acid on her." Sam frowned, vague alarm bells ringing somewhere in the back of his mind.

"Really?" Dean met Sam's questioning eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, she shrugged it off very quickly though. Still, it was weird." Sam felt a bit ridiculous for saying it but he had to. After all, it was what the both of them were thinking.

"Do you…you know-think she could be-"Dean sighed, jaw tensing.

"I don't know. But after all these years, us constantly moving? Isn't it kind of paranoid to even think that she's a demon?"

"I guess. But you know mom, she taught us to look out for any signs, shouldn't we at least tell her?"

"She'll have us move to Alaska in less than five seconds, even if Kate's a demon or not. I don't want to move any more Sammy, I'm sick of it." Sam had to agree, over the years he'd said goodbye to friends over and over again and then forced to adapt to switching schools. Here, he'd settled down better than he had in a while.

* * *

Sam was so wrapped up in his chemistry book that he didn't notice his friend Sophie calling his name. He looked up confusedly when she waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to Sam? You were practically glued to that book." She said and rolled her eyes. Sam began to gather his things.

"Sorry, just focused I guess. The test's next Wednesday you know." Sophie scoffed as they headed out of the library, heading towards English class.

"Yeah, I know, but that's like a week from now. So I heard Mr. Roberts is back, thank god, that sub was terrible." Sam chuckled, she wasn't wrong. Mr. Roberts greeted them with a nod as they entered the classroom.

"Hi everyone. I hope you all learned something during my short leave. Today we'll start reading Hamlet." The unspoken groan in the classroom was tangible. Sam sighed; he'd have to read it again.

"Okay, see you on Friday." Mr. Roberts said after the bell finally rang. "Sam." Sam's head snapped up, seeing Mr. Roberts look at him through his hideous glasses. "I'd like to speak with you if that's okay?" He nodded and turned to meet Sophie's questioning eyes.

"I'll catch up with you." He said before she left the classroom. For some reason Sam was nervous, what did he want?

"Is everything ok?" Sam asked hesitantly. Mr. Roberts adjusted his glasses.

"That depends. I wanted to talk to you because I've noticed that you've been a bit…absentminded lately. Is everything alright at home?" Sam blinked, what was he talking about? He was always alert during classes, never missed any homework. Mr. Roberts had been gone for a week, this didn't make any sense. Sam realized that he was waiting for him to answer.

"I'm sorry, where is this coming from? Everything's fine, I mean I've been to every class. Have I missed some task you've given us?" Sam rambled. Annoyance passed through Mr. Roberts eyes.

"Sam, I wish it didn't have to come to this. To be honest, I'm disappointed; you have always worked very hard. I tried to be discreet, that's why I asked you, in hopes of you telling the truth. I know you cheated on the essay a few weeks ago." Sam didn't believe what he was hearing, _cheating?_ He felt anger well up in his chest.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have never cheated and I certainly never will. On what grounds do you claim that I've cheated?"

"Sam, please." Mr. Roberts gave him a dark look. "This is not a matter of discussion. You have two options, I have a conversation with you and your mother and you'll rewrite the essay. Or you will have one week of detention, two hours every afternoon." Sam was too taken aback to answer immediately, this was absurd.

"Is this some kind of joke? I did _not_ cheat, okay?" Sam couldn't keep his voice from rising.

"I'm giving you two options here, Sam. Pick one." Sam's jaw clenched. He had to choose.

"Detention." He would not bring himself to rewrite the essay; he had too much self-respect to do that. His eyes met Mr. Roberts's, not bothering to hide the glare. For a second Sam thought he saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Okay then. Goodbye Sam." For some reason his voice hinted disappointment in Sam's decision. Sam didn't answer as he angrily left the classroom.

* * *

" _You_ cheating? Is he for real?" Dean asked irritably as they drove home.

"Apparently." Sam stared out the window, rain clouding the sight. "Can't believe it, why would he say that?" He muttered quietly.

"Just give me a word and we'll turn back ok? I'll show him my friendly side." Dean said firmly. Sam rolled his eyes.

"I'll just have to suffer through detention for a week." Dean scoffed, hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"But cheating, seriously? Did he say why he thought so?" Sam shrugged hopelessly.

"No, he wouldn't say. I guess he hates me or something."

"Why? You're like a saint compared to most other kids." Sam snorted. The rest of the ride home passed in silence, the only sounds were the engine and the splattering of rain on the windshield.

* * *

Sam didn't tell Mary about what had happened, he'd wait to tell her. Right now, he was just too exhausted. Sounds coming from the hall woke him from restless dreams. He sat up in bed, pushing hair out of his face. He frowned, was Dean still up? With a sigh he went to Dean's room, carefully opening the door. His brother snored lightly, his sleeping shape shifting. Sam closed the door and walked to the kitchen, pausing to listen. He heard scratching sounds, like someone was fumbling with something. Sam tried to locate it and he stepped closer to the front door in the hall. His stomach dropped when he saw the door handle move up and down slowly. Instinctively, he took a step back. He blinked, had he just imagined it? It was dark after all; the room was only lit by the faint light coming in from the street lights outside. Sam swallowed thickly and stepped closer to the door. _Don't be a baby._ Taking a deep breath he looked through the peephole on the door. A sigh of relief escaped him, there was no one there. The single spotlight lit up the corridor outside. Everything looked normal; Sam saw that their neighbor Ms. Adams had forgotten her paper outside again. He chuckled to himself, she forgot it at least four times every-

A set of eyes looked into his through the peephole. He couldn't distinguish the face, the eyes were too close. Sam nearly screamed, blood running cold. He backed away as fast he could, almost tripping over his own feet. _What the hell_?! A door opened and Dean came walking in, running a hand down his face. Sam realized that he must have made some noise that woke him up.

"Sammy?" Dean halted when he saw Sam's still shocked expression.

"Dean, there was…there was some-" Dean frowned and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. What happened? You look scared shitless." Sam tried to somewhat recollect himself.

"There was someone outside, whoever it was stared right through the peephole Dean." Dean looked him over, deciding on that he was not kidding. He went to the door, opening it. Sam looked at his feet.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked nervously. He couldn't bring himself to look up. Those cold eyes were etched into his mind.

"There's no one here."


	3. Blue Lights

Sam's head snapped up. He met Dean's worried expression. There was no one outside, just an empty hallway.

"But- I swear…Dean, there was someone out there, you have to believe me!" He said, voice rising. Dean stepped closer, gesturing to him to keep it down.

"Shhh, don't wake mom. I believe you okay, Sammy? I just-I mean there's no one there." Sam could see that he believed him but the concern and worry didn't leave his features. He carefully closed the door and turned back to his brother.

"Whoever was out there could come back-"Dean cut him off.

"How do you know that?"

"I don't, but-"

"Did you see who it was? Man or woman?" Dean asked in a hushed tone. Sam's eyes had gotten used to the dark but he needed some light, anything to shake that feeling, that image of those eyes. He switched the little lamp by the couch on and sat down, head in his hands.

"I can't be sure Dean, the eyes were too close." He said, voice trembling slightly. Dean sighed and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a minute. Sam could feel a headache coming on. Who had been outside? What did he or she want?

"I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep." Sam stated quietly.

"Yeah. I'm going to stay here, in case something happens. You staying?" Sam nodded. Dean turned the TV on, quickly lowering the volume.

"Okay. Don't expect me to go all slumber party on you alright? I'm not braiding your hair." Sam snorted, feeling a bit better now.

"Hey, you really shouldn't say anything about _my_ hair. I have seen pictures you know." Sam said smugly. Dean froze and cast him a glare.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He muttered.

"You, ten maybe, looking like a floor mop?" Dean scoffed.

"Shut up, Sammy. I told mom to burn those pictures." He said bitterly. Sam chuckled and reached for the remote. Dean grabbed it before he could.

"Nope, I'm watching this." He said before Sam could protest. Sam knew that he had no idea what they were watching, night TV was always weird. After a minute Dean reluctantly switched channels.

"Thank you." The show showing on the screen sparked recognition, he'd seen this before. He leaned forward, searching through his mind, he knew this show."Hey, isn't this that show we used to watch when we were kids?" Sam saw his brother look at the TV with a frown before his memory caught up with him.

"Yeah, well I was, you just watched it because you saw me watching it." Sam huffed.

"I was not." He said, rolling his eyes. Dean chuckled.

"Sure you were. You were practically glued to my side; you couldn't have been more than five. Mom thought it was cute." Dean smiled at the memory.

"When did we stop doing that? You know, movie nights?" Sam had always loved those nights as a kid. Every Friday night he, Dean and their mom would watch movies or something on TV. Dean scratched his head.

"I don't know, six or seven years ago maybe? I guess things changed with high school and all you know?" Sam nodded with sad smile.

"Yeah. I remember you always wanted to watch horror movies and mom would be mad at you because I'd get scared." Dean laughed softly.

"Well, you were kind of a wuss Sammy. And you'd always fall asleep like halfway through a movie and I'd have to carry or drag you to your bed."

"What? No I didn't." Sam protested. Dean chuckled, switching channels again.

"Yup. After 9 you'd be out like a light." Sam couldn't help but smile. He could feel his eyelids getting heavy but whenever they closed he'd see those eyes. Next to him Dean yawned. Sighing, Sam shifted in his seat. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 _The cold should have bothered him. There was something pulling him deeper in to the woods, his steps were persistent. Some part of him knew that he should go back but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The sense of being watched was undeniable but he didn't care. He knew that he should. The remaining daylight cast an eerie look to the surrounding trees. The woods were denser now; he had to zigzag since there was no clear path anymore. A twig snapped but he didn't turn, he didn't care. He stopped in his tracks; he was where he was supposed to be. His detached mind registered someone behind him. It should have scared him, should have made him spin around. But he didn't._

" _Sam."_

"Sam." Sam's eyes flew open, meeting his mom's blue eyes looking down at him. She stroked some hair out of his face and frowned.

"Bad dream?" She asked quietly. Sam sat up straighter, running a hand through his hair. Dean was passed out next to him, snoring lightly and legs sprawled out on Sam's lap.

"Uhm, yeah. I guess." He didn't know what to think, the dream left him confused. He tried to shake the annoying feeling that he was forgetting something, something that he should remember.

"Not that I mind you and your brother being in the same room without fighting, but why are you here? Did you sleep all night out here?" She asked, her mouth twitching when she cast a look at Dean. Sam saw some drool at the corner of his mouth, mumbling something in his sleep.

"I just thought I heard something but it was nothing. Dean woke up and I guess we just crashed here." Sam wished he hadn't, his back ached from sleeping on the couch. Sam met his mom's eyes, worry passed through them for a second but then she smiled.

"Okay, I'll fix us some breakfast." She headed to the kitchen, wrapping her robe tighter around her. Sam pushed Dean's legs of him with an annoyed huff, even in his sleep he seemed to try to take up as much room as possible. Dean almost fell off the couch with the sudden movement and Sam couldn't help but chuckle. Dean looked around confusedly, taking in his surroundings.

"Shit. I think I fell asleep." He said groggily and stood up with a yawn; his jaw giving a small cracking sound.

"Yeah, we both did. So much for keeping a look-out."

* * *

Dean tried to subtly study his brother when he gave him a ride to school. There were bags underneath his eyes and he kept on yawning. They hadn't talked about what had happened since last night.

"So about last night, you don't remember seeing anything else?" Sam briefly met his eyes and sighed.

"No, Dean. I woke because I heard something and then I saw the door handle on the front door moving so I looked through the peephole. I thought there was no one there at first but then…You know." Dean could tell Sam didn't want to talk about it and he knew that he wasn't making this up. They pulled up at the school and Sam opened the door. Before he closed it he turned, bitterness written across his face.

"Detention starts today so I guess I'll be done here by 6. Are you picking me up?"

"Yeah, of course Sammy." Sam gave a short nod and closed the door.

"Poor kid." Dean muttered to himself as he drove away. Sam really didn't deserve this; detention was the last thing Dean would expect him to have to suffer through.

* * *

Sam had never felt so out of place before and he knew that he definitely shouldn't be here. Sophie had looked at him with pity before she left for home. Apparently he was the only one in detention and Mr. Roberts had given him instructions to study in the library. Sam had always liked the library; it was where he spent his free periods to study with his friends. But now with no one here but the librarian and all the stale smelling books he felt uneasy. He cast a glance at the clock on the wall and sighed, one hour left. The librarian gave him a small nod goodbye as she left her desk. The door closed after her, the sound making him jerk slightly. Focusing on his homework felt impossible, the empty library had never felt so quiet, so still. Stifling a yawn, he put his head in his hands. He was so tired, he wished he could just go home and sleep.

 _The blue lights told him that they knew. Yet he didn't quicken his pace, he didn't care. His hands were numb from the cold and his shoes were wet from walking through the woods. It didn't bother him. The high pitched sirens should have made him flinch. He made his way to the porch, sitting down. A voice called his name and he looked up._

" _Sammy!"_

The ring of his phone startled him awake. Sam fumbled with his pocket to get the phone out. Flipping it open he saw the caller ID, Dean. He cleared his throat and answered.

"Hey."

"Sammy? Where the hell are you? I'm waiting outside." Sam blinked at his brother's annoyed tone. What was he talking ab- _Oh_. It was 18:15. He'd fallen asleep.

"Sorry, Dean. I'm on my way." He ended the call and rubbed his cheek, his notebook had worked as a pillow during his involuntary nap. Sam hurriedly started to gather his things, cursing at himself for falling asleep, what if Mr. Roberts had walked in? Sam froze when he saw something on his notebook, at the top of the page. Sharply turning, he looked around. His breathing quickened and he felt a chill go down his spine. Swallowing, he looked down at the notebook in his hand again, at the handwriting that wasn't his. _"Why so tired Sam?"_


	4. A Proud Smile

Dean's plans to yell at his brother for being late were stopped short when he saw the look on his face. Sam quickly got in the car, face as pale as a sheet.

"Sammy, you okay?" Dean asked tentatively.

"Can we please just go?" He asked fervently, running a hand through his hair. Dean did as he asked and decided to not push for an answer when he was this upset. After a minute Sam relaxed somewhat into his seat, turning to Dean and clearing his throat.

"There was someone in the library, Dean." He said stiffly. Dean blinked, not knowing what to make of this.

"Okay?"

"No, there was someone in there and I didn't notice." Sam said edgily.

"What do you mean you didn't notice?" Sam swallowed and looked out the window.

"I fell asleep and then I woke up because you called me. Someone had written on my notebook." Dean frowned. Sam, seeing his reaction, irritably opened his bag and held the notebook out in front of him. A chill went down Dean's spine, who had written that?

"Who the hell who do that?" Dean said, jaw clenching. Sam shrugged and drew a shaky breath. Dean cast a look at his brother; he didn't think he'd ever seen him this scared before. First the events last night and now this? As he parked the impala by the apartment building he made up his mind.

"Screw detention. You're not going there again." Sam's head jerked up.

"What? I have to, Dean. Mr. Roberts-"

"He can stick it. Someone's obviously after you, I don't care if it's a prank. I have a bad feeling about this." Sam gave him an exasperated look and shut the door.

"I have to. I don't really have a choice here, Dean." Dean sighed.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"What? I don't need a baby-sitter." Dean rolled his eyes at his brother's stubborn tone. They made their way inside and waited for the elevator to come down. Dean knew Sam wouldn't do what he said so he let it go. For now.

* * *

Sam was relieved that Mary wasn't upset that he had waited to tell her that he had detention for a week. She was as frustrated as he was about the situation; she knew he would never cheat. His dreams were restless again that night, that sense of forgetting something lingered and it annoyed him. The following morning he was still tired, the bags underneath his eyes even more prominent. Dean didn't say anything about detention on the ride to school. In fact, he was unusually quiet. Sam's suspicion grew; he was definitely up to something.

"How was detention yesterday?" Sophie asked as they were finishing up in biology. That reminded him that detention was next, he really didn't want to spend another two hours in there.

"It was…ok. Just have to get it over with, you know?" She nodded sympathetically. He decided not to tell her about it, she'd probably just think that someone was pranking him. Sam wished that he could believe that was the case but his gut feeling told him otherwise.

"Sammy!" A part of Sam wasn't even surprised. He cursed inwardly; he should have realized that this would happen. Sam turned to see Dean making his way over to them through the crowd. Sophie gave Sam a questioning look. Dean came up with a smug smile which only widened when he saw Sam's annoyed face.

"What are you doing here, Dean?" Sam asked tiredly.

"Joining you for detention of course." He said, grinning.

"Sam, who-" Sophie started, confusion written across her face.

"I'm Sam's awesome brother Dean, nice to meet you." He said, smiling down at her as he shook her hand. Sam saw her blush slightly. "You've failed to mention your girlfriend here Sammy." Sam sighed.

"This is Sophie and we're just friends Dean."

"Whatever you say. Ready to go?" Sam decided to kill his brother when they got home. After he'd said goodbye to Sophie he turned to glare at Dean.

"Seriously Dean?" Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed Sam's shoulder, ushering him towards the library.

"I told you I wouldn't leave you alone here, okay?"

"And what if nothing happens, huh?" Sam shot back as they entered the library.

"Then nothing happens. Until then-" Dean sat down, resting his feet on the table. "-you'll study or whatever it is you do." Sam sat down opposite Dean.

"Were you never here when you were in school? Feet off the table." Dean chuckled.

"I don't remember studying much in here." The librarian gave Dean an irritated pointed look. He winked at her before putting his feet down.

"Feisty. How old do you think-"Sam cut him off, he really didn't want to hear this.

"Please stop talking. If you wanted me to study then shut up." Dean snickered.

"Okay, grumpy." For a minute Dean sat still, looking around with an expression of boredom which only grew with every second that passed. Feeling his restlessness, Sam looked up with a scowl. Dean tapped his feet, lowly humming some tune. Sam put his pen down demonstratively. Dean remained clueless until Sam kicked at his shin under the table.

"Ouch, what the hell?" Dean protested, earning himself a hush from the librarian.

"You're the one who was desperate to be here, read a book or something so I can study." Dean's eyes widened, mouth opening but at the last second remembering to keep it down.

"Sorry Sammy, but this is kind of brain dead." He said in a hushed tone, leaning forward.

"Then go home, Dean." Dean didn't answer; instead he just stubbornly stayed in his seat. Sam knew he wouldn't leave, even if he was bored as hell.

* * *

"Well that was uneventful." Dean muttered as they climbed into the impala.

"Yeah, no reason for you to stalk me during the remaining hours of detention alright?" Sam saw Dean nod shortly, mumbling something inaudible. He could tell that Dean was still worried but there really was no reason for him to sit with him through detention for three more days. For a few minutes they sat in silence, Dean's eyes focused on the road. Sam opened his mouth but closed it again; he'd wanted to bring it up for a while now.

"Dean, you know how we talked about finding the demon that killed dad?" He asked carefully. Dean glanced at him before returning his gaze to the road.

"Yeah?" He prompted.

"I just…Is it possible that it could be more dangerous than we thought? I mean how do we even start? Mom may have told us the truth but she never trained us. And with the weird things happening lately, what if it's all connected?"

"To?"

"To him." Sam could see his brother's eyes darken. He didn't answer at first.

"I know. I've been having the same thought. What doesn't make sense is, why now? What could he possibly want? He's already ruined our lives, what more could he want?" Sam looked down at his lap with a sigh.

"I don't know." He said quietly.

"I do know that if he's behind the stuff that happened recently, we might have a chance."

"A chance to-" Sam started.

"To kill him." Dean said unwaveringly.

"But how?" Sam asked. Dean met his eyes briefly and smiled.

"That's where you come in my nerdy little brother. You do the research and I'll do the killing okay?" Sam snorted.

"I thought you said that we would both-"Dean cut him off with a sharp look.

"Like you said, this could be dangerous and I won't risk anything happening to you, understood?" Sam ignored Dean's final tone.

"So you will risk your life instead, how does that make sense?" Sam said, voice rising. Dean scoffed irritably and shifted in his seat.

"Dean?" Sam prodded.

"Because I'm the oldest and if anything happens to you mom will have my ass, okay?" Sam decided to be quiet; he knew that if he shot back at his brother they'd keep fighting all night. He was too tired for that.

* * *

Dean reluctantly agreed to leave Sam alone during detention the next day; Sam gave a sigh of relief as he shut the door of the impala, hurrying to get to class.

 _Darkness had come; the trees were tall shadows around him. He didn't know what he was doing here; all he knew was that he had to be here. His calm exhales were visible in the cold air, forming small clouds. The sense that someone was there was unmistakable, the feeling crept down his spine but he wasn't fazed by it. He wasn't surprised when a hand came down on his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. A proud smile was the first the thing he registered but then-_

"A little tired there?" Sam was jerked back into the real world. Looking up he saw a pair of blue eyes looking down at him. She smiled and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. He cleared his throat, realizing he must seem like a complete idiot.

"Yeah, I guess." Sam looked around, confusion clouding his mind. _The library?_ He must have fallen asleep again. He really had to get some sleep, he couldn't keep sleeping here and especially not when it was detention. The woman hadn't left; Sam couldn't remember seeing her around here before.

"Who are you?" Too late, he realized it came out as pretty rude. She didn't seem to care, chuckling as she grabbed her bag from the desk.

"I'm the new librarian, I'm filling in for Amanda, she's sick. Haven't you heard?" Sam blinked and shook his head no.

"Yeah, the flu I heard, poor thing." She said, her brows furrowing in sympathy. "Well, I have to get going. Try to get some sleep, alright Sam?" He nodded and gave a small smile as she left. Sam looked down at the table and rubbed his cheek. _I should invest in a real pillow._ He jumped slightly when his phone rang. Fishing the phone out of his pocket, he saw that the time was past six. Dean wouldn't be happy.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"I'm aging out here Sammy, get a move on." Sam ended the call and packed his things. He realized that the woman never told him her name.

* * *

"Nothing weird happened today?" Dean asked as they were in the elevator on the way up to their apartment. Sam shrugged and shifted restlessly as the elevator made some disturbing noise. He knew nothing ever happened but the landlord seriously needed to have it looked at.

"I don't think so."

"Good, if anything happ-"

"Yeah, I know Dean, I'll call you." Dean nodded.

"Hey, about what we talked about yesterday, have you started looking into it? You know, research?" Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's attempt at secrecy; they were alone in the elevator.

"No and I don't even know how or where to start. I had planned to try and find something during detention but-"Sam abruptly trailed off when he realized that Dean would only be pissed.

"What?" Dean sensed his mood change and gave him an insistent look. Sam sighed.

"I fell asleep." Dean glared at him, slapping the back of his head as the doors of the elevator opened. Sam turned around to protest but was stopped short when they were met by Ms. Adams who was waiting to get down. Her eyes widened at Dean's abuse but shrugged it off when he smiled at her.

"Hi, how are you?" Dean asked politely, the smile still plastered on his face. It disappeared in a second when the elevator doors closed after her.

"What the hell, Dean?" Sam exclaimed.

"Sleeping? Again? Really Sammy? "Sam looked around helplessly, shrugging.

"I was tired." He said and Dean scoffed.

"You need to keep your guard up, okay? Like I said, there might be someone-"  
"Someone after me, yeah. I heard you the first time Dean." Sam ignored his brother's scowl as he reached into his bag to grab the keys to the apartment. With a frown he rummaged through it, he knew he had put them in there this morning.

"Man, I wish we lived in a house, I've never liked living in apartments." Dean mused. Sam hummed in agreement.

"Yeah, but this one definitely beats that horrible one we had in Chicago." Sam crouched down with the bag, a frustrated sigh leaving him as he started to look through it again.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked with one raised eyebrow.

"My keys, they're gone."

"What do you mean they're gone?" His brother asked, confused. Sam gave him a dark look before returning his attention to his bag.

"As in they're not there, Dean. I know I put them there this morning." He saw worry pass through Dean's eyes. Sam stood up, inwardly cursing his stupidity. _I should've stayed awake._

 ** _A/N: Reviews are appreciated! :)_**


	5. Brotherly Advice

Dean would've preferred angry words over Mary's silence. He felt bad for his brother who was nervously shifting from side to side next to him. After a few seconds Mary opened her mouth, only to close it again. Sam cast Dean a helpless look, his eyes begging for him to do something.

"Mom?" Dean said and cleared his throat. She met his eyes and then Sam's.

"You lost the keys?" She said, her voice on edge. Sam tensed next to Dean.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry mom, it was stupid-"She cut him off with a sharp look.

"Exactly, this is not like you Sam, you don't lose things. When did you last see them?" Sam looked down at his feet, shoulders sagging lightly.

"This morning, I don't know where they could have gone. I'm sorry mom." He said quietly. She nodded, sighing at his miserable expression.

"It's okay Sam. I guess they'll show up eventually and if not, we'll change the locks."

"Yeah." Sam said, relief in his voice.

"Wait." She said before they could go anywhere. Dean searched her face, what did she want? He knew that tone and it wasn't good.

"You've both been acting off lately, especially you Sam. Is everything all right?" Sam's eyes widened, like a deer in headlights. Dean stifled a groan.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine mom." Sam said, his voice too high and casual. _God, the kid sucks at lying._ When it came to their mom, he was even worse than usual. Mary's eyes narrowed, she wasn't stupid.

"Really? Is there something you want to tell me? You've been distracted lately, is that why you lost the keys?" Dean knew Sam wouldn't be able to get out of this one. Seeing his brother's distressed face he couldn't help rolling his eyes. They couldn't tell her the truth, not now. They could be on to something.

"No, mom-" Dean interrupted him by putting a hand on his shoulder. Sam looked at him with big, confused eyes.

"He didn't want to tell you like this, mom, he wasn't sure how you would react." Mary looked at Dean with one raised eyebrow, not following at all.

"You want to tell her or should I?" Sam gave him a terrified look, silently pleading for him to shut up.

"Dean, what are you-"

"Sammy's not a loner anymore, he has a girlfriend." Dean saw Mary's face go blank with surprise; this was not what she had been expecting. Neither had Sam, he was now opening his mouth to protest.

"Is this true Sam?" Mary asked, still a bit sceptic. Dean tightened the grip on Sam's shoulder; he had to go along with him on this one.

"I just met her the other day actually. What's her name? Sandy? So…so, or something like that?" Dean asked, grinning as he turned to Sam. The murderous look on his face was hilarious. He had to answer, now. Dean tightened his grip further, making Sam shift uncomfortably.

"Sophie." He muttered and shook Dean's hand off of him. Dean saw a smile forming on their mom's face. _Hah, got her_.

"Really? Why couldn't you just tell me this?" She asked carefully. Dean nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I was as surprised as you are. Guess that's why he's been so distracted lately, isn't that right Sammy?" Dean said with a wink. _If looks could kill._ "I told you it would be fine. Don't worry mom, I'll give him some awesome brotherly advice, you know-"

"God no, please don't." She said, sincere worry written across her face. "Don't listen to your brother Sam, if you know what's best for you." Sam gave her a short nod and turned to Dean with a glare that told him he wanted to throttle him.

"Dinner's ready in ten minutes boys." She called after them as Sam practically dragged Dean to his room. Dean couldn't help the laughter that escaped him as Sam shut the door after them.

"What the hell Dean?" Sam spat, trying his best to keep his voice down. Dean shrugged innocently.

"What? I just saved your ass. No offense, but a newborn's better at lying than you. She knew something was up, so I had to do this to keep her in the dark." Sam's fists clenched.

"But you- seriously Dean?" His face was a bit red from anger. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Don't throw a fit now Sammy, think about it, this is a good thing. You have an excuse. An excuse we could really use right now if we're going to find out what's been happening lately." Sam's expression changed from furious to helpless as he sat down by his desk with a heavy sigh. Dean sat down on the bed, waiting. He could still see Sam's horrified face when he'd told Mary "the truth", it was enough to make the corners of his mouth twitch. After a minute Sam looked up at him with tired eyes, dragging a hand through his messy hair.

"You know it takes two to be in a fake relationship, right? I'm going to have to tell Sophie. She's going to think I'm crazy." Dean felt a pang of sympathy seeing his brother's miserable expression.

"Come on now, it'll be fine. Just tell her you need her to convince mom you're not gay." He couldn't help but chuckle at the bitter glare Sam shot him.

"When all this is over I'm going to kill you, Dean." Dean stood up with a snort; his brother's childish tone was too palpable to take seriously.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. One day, you'll thank me for this Sammy."

* * *

Sam went to bed with a searing headache, a headache caused by his brother's little stunt. During dinner Mary had insisted that Sophie should come over some time soon. Dean had immediately agreed, his face lighting up with that annoying grin. Sam had succeeded in not choking on the food he was eating, giving his mom a small smile and nod. He groaned as he rolled over to his other side, what the hell was he going to say to Sophie? When he'd muttered some curses about his brother he eventually fell asleep.

 _He wasn't supposed to be here, he had to leave. Now. It called to him, he could feel it. Looking down at the ball he was holding he frowned and let it fall to the ground. He felt eyes on him as he started to make his way out of the playground. As he quickened his steps he heard his name being called. Without really thinking about it he turned around, they had to be quiet, he didn't want to attract the attention of the adults. Before he turned around again he gestured for them to be quiet, bringing a finger to his lips. He saw them freeze but then one of them shrugged and resumed playing. Good. He left the school playground, making his way to the woods._

Again, Sam woke up feeling confused. The dreams made no sense to him but at the same time they felt oddly familiar, like it was something he'd actually lived through. He decided to shrug it off, how would that make any sense? What had happened all those years ago had happened, even though he still couldn't remember it. They had moved on from that, they didn't speak about it, it made them all uneasy. Sam didn't know if his dreams were connected to it, was that even possible?

* * *

Sam took a deep breath; he just had to get this over with. She might declare him crazy but they had been friends for a while, he hoped that she would agree to this. Sophie noticed his quiet and nervous mood as they sat down for lunch. After a minute of awkward silence she put her fork down.

"Okay, spill it Sam, what is it?" He took a sip of water and sighed. This was it, here goes nothing. He looked up to meet her friendly brown eyes studying him.

"All right, this is going to sound weird, absurd even. I need a favor, a big one." Sophie blinked.

"Okay?" She inquired with one raised eyebrow.

"Thanks to Dean I kind of need you to go along with something with me. We have to distract my mom, it's a long story, and my idiot for a brother thought that this was the only way." She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Yeah? Don't leave me hanging Sam, what is it?" She prodded, raising her glass to her mouth.

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend." Instantly Sophie choked on the water she was drinking, sputtering it across the table. Sam jerked back just in time. He noticed several people around them turning to see what was happening. She gave him an incredulous look as she coughed it out.

"You okay?" She nodded, not yet capable of talking. After some more coughing she started to laugh. Sam sighed; this was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Seeing his unamused face, Sophie's laughter died.

"You're not kidding." She stated flatly. Sam shook his head no, smiling apologetically.

"Wow." She cleared her throat."Uhm…well that was unexpected." It seemed like she didn't know what else to say.

"You don't have to Sophie, all right? It' really weird to ask this of you, I know. But I would really appreciate it." She gave him a calculating look and nodded.

"Yeah, it is. Don't take this the wrong way but you've always been more of a brother almost to me, so this…well it's odd." Sam hummed in agreement, relieved that she felt the same way, they had always been just friends and would never be more than that.

"But, okay, I'll do it." Sam let out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding.

"Thank you Sophie, you're a life saver." Giving him a smile she picked up her fork again, continuing to eat her salad. Sam then realized that he had one more thing to ask her.

"There's one more thing." She looked up at him with big eyes.

"Could you come over for dinner tonight? I guess my mom needs proof, she might think I'm playing her if she never meets you." This time Sophie didn't choke but gave him a nervous look instead. She slowly swallowed before nodding.

"Okay, sure. What time should I be there?"

 **A/N: Reviews are appreciated! :)**


	6. Predators

Sam was plotting potential revenge ideas during dinner, his brother would pay for this. He felt like sinking through the floor, he didn't think he'd ever felt this embarrassed. Dean on the other hand seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He kept up the whole charade, chatting away eagerly and every now then casting Sam an agitating wink. At least Sophie seemed to feel more relaxed than Sam felt.

"So how did the two of you meet?" Mary asked, giving Sophie a warm smile. Sam realized that he rarely saw his mother this relaxed around new people in their home, she was usually a little cautious. Dean put his glass down, leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head. Sam stifled a groan.

"Sammy, you've neglected to tell us that." Dean said, feigning hurt in his voice.

Sam felt Sophie tense next to him.

"Through school I guess." He said quietly. The room fell silent; his lack of enthusiasm was tangible. Sophie looked down at her plate, picking through her pasta. Sam saw the corners of his brother's mouth twitch.

"Like through calculator club or something?" Mary shot Dean a look. Sophie gave a light chuckle.

"There's no such thing Dean." Sam said with a glare. He cleared his throat and put an arm around Sophie's shoulder. "I guess we just always had this connection, you know?" Sophie stirred slightly, giving his arm a confused look before realizing what he was doing.

"And the rest is history I guess." She said, taking his hand. Sam tried his best at a genuine smile. Mary smiled, not suspecting a thing. The whole thing was so cheesy and sweet Sam had the sudden urge to take a shower.

"Now isn't that sweet?" Mary hummed in agreement. "And here I was thinking little Sammy would remain in the forever virgin club." Dean said, playfully slapping Sam's shoulder. Mary who was raising her glass to her mouth sat it down with a thud.

"Dean!" She warned.

"Dishes anyone?" Dean stood up, evading the situation with a charming grin. Sophie laughed again, like she'd been doing at everything he'd said or done since she got here. Sam put his head in hands with a sigh.

* * *

"It was lovely meeting you, Sophie. Come over any time, okay?" Mary said, giving her a hug goodbye.

"You too, thank you so much for dinner." Sophie said with a smile. Dean stepped forward from behind Mary. Sophie was caught off guard when he brought her in for a hug.

"Come here, you're practically family now. Like mom said, you're always welcome here." Seeing Sophie blush slightly, Sam rolled his eyes. He gave Mary an insistent look, signaling for them to leave. He saw her ushering Dean away towards the living room. Sam turned to Sophie with a relieved sigh. She gave him a knowing, amused look.

"Thank you." He said as he hugged her goodbye.

"Anytime." He closed the door after her, waiting a minute before he joined his mom and brother. Sam knew how he'd get back at Dean.

* * *

Detention the following day proved to be uneventful at first. Sam took the opportunity to start the research on the demon. He didn't know much, just the things that their mom had gone over with them. That was all basic information, salt repels them, a devil's trap traps them etc. The demon that had killed their dad wasn't just the regular deal, that much was obvious. Sam sighed to himself as he looked through the shelves in the school library. He didn't even know exactly what he was supposed to be looking for. The lore he'd found so far described demons as literal monsters. He knew enough to know that they looked like anyone else since they possessed people. Sam could have sworn he jumped a feet into the air when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Spinning around he found himself looking down at the new librarian. He forced a laughter which only came out as extremely nervous. Sam tried to recollect himself; he seemed kind of guilty giving this sort of reaction. She looked him over before settling on a smile.

"Hi there. Do you need any help?" He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. Her blue eyes never left him for a second, studying his every move.

"No, thank you, I'm just looking." Sam answered, trying his best to hide his unease. She quirked one eyebrow before nodding.

"Alright. Anything in particular?" He had to say something that seemed relevant, why would he aimlessly be scurrying through the shelves?

"Uhm…" _Think, Sam, think._ "I'm doing a paper on predators, a bit behind unfortunately." _Close enough_.

"Aha. You know this is the mythology section right?" Sam scolded himself. There was something in her stare that he couldn't put his finger on, something dark in her bright eyes.

"That's right. See I did need your help after all. My eyes get all cloudy in this dust, I guess." He wanted to cringe at his own lie. "You know what, it's getting late. I must get going." She chuckled lightly and gave him one last look before nodding goodbye. He waited a few seconds before he hurried out of the library. Quickly, he glanced at the clock on the wall, 17:45. Good. Dean wasn't here yet. And Sam wouldn't be here once he did get here. He headed to the bus that would take him to the city library. Hopefully, he would be more successful in finding information there. Sam knew that Dean would be pissed when he didn't show up, but he didn't care. The last thing he wanted right now was to spend more time than necessary with his brother. Sam wasn't incapable of getting back at his brother for his little stunt.

* * *

Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Dean looked over at the school entrance. Still no Sam. He sighed, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. If that kid was sleeping again… Sam was only five minutes late so far but with nothing to do but stare out the window it felt like five hours.

"Come on Sammy." He muttered to himself. His stomach growled, he hadn't eaten for a while now. Dean dialed his brother's number. It went through but he didn't pick up. He forced himself to stay in the car for a few more minutes. _Where is he? I'm starving._ When his watch told him that Sam was 20 minutes late he climbed out of the car, heading towards the school.

"And he didn't say if he was going anywhere after school?" Dean asked irritably as he left the school. He took a deep breath, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. Dean adjusted the grip on his phone as he fished the keys out of his pocket.

"No, Dean. I'm sure he must be with Sophie. He probably doesn't want us constantly checking on him." Dean snorted, baffled by his mom's new attitude.

"Where is this coming from mom? You practically had him on an arm's length leash just a few days ago."

"Dean, stop it. I've realized that he needs these normal things in his life, like having a girlfriend. So do you. It downed on me that I've been a bit controlling and I want him to be happy-"

"Wait, don't tell me, we're getting a dog too aren't we?"

"Dean-" The warning in her voice was clear.

"Never mind. I'll find him, mom."

* * *

As he jogged down the steps he saw a familiar face leaving through the school entrance next to him. He squinted in the dark as the person came closer. Dean found himself wanting to turn around when he saw who it was.

"Dean?" _Shit_. He plastered a surprised smile on his face.

"Kate? Fancy running into you here. What are you doing here?" She stepped closer, a little too close for his liking.

"I work here now, filling in for someone. Didn't work out at the store." She said with a shrug. Dean's warning bells rang. _Sammy_. Had he been here at the same time as her?

"I see. Did you happen to see a guy in there? 15, tall for his age? He's my brother and he's late. Couldn't find him in the library where he was supposed to be." Her blue eyes met his. He could have imagined it but it felt like she took a second or two long to answer. Once again Kate shrugged, eyes narrowing in thought.

"No, I don't think so. Hey, we should meet up again." _I'd rather down a shot of acid._ Her tone was just barely evasive. She looked at him expectantly, raising an eyebrow at his restless shifting. He had to find Sam. _Now_.

"Yeah, for sure. I'll call you. Got to go now, see you." She seemed a bit taken aback at his cold behavior. Dean hurried to the impala, slamming the door shut after him. He grabbed his phone again, dialing one of Sam's friends who would probably know where Sophie lived.

* * *

"Hi Sophie. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm looking for Sam, have you seen him?" Sophie closed the door of her house behind her.

"Hey. No not since school. He had detention and-" She pushed some hair behind her ear.

"He didn't say if he was going someplace?" She shrugged.

"No, just that he had detention. That's when I last saw him, when he headed over there. Tomorrow's his last day there, thank god." Dean's worry only increased. If he hadn't told anyone about going someplace else but detention and that was the last place Sophie had seen him, where the hell was he?

"Okay, thanks Sophie. See you."

* * *

Dean tried not to freak out. The time was now nearly 8 and his phone had died. He still had no clue where Sam was. Some part of his mind told him to expect the worst, that Kate had gotten to him. That girl, if you could call her that, was anything but honest. If she was in fact a demon, Sam was in big trouble. Dean swore to himself, pushing the impala to go faster. He had to tell Mary that he had no idea where Sam was. _Please, let him be ok._

* * *

When Sam had gotten home he'd told Mary that he'd been with Sophie. She didn't suspect that he was lying, buying his story instead. He had to admit that he was a bit surprised at her sudden lack of control. She genuinely seemed so happy for him. Sam felt a pang of guilt over lying to her. They didn't have a choice at the moment though, he knew that. He only wished that it could've played out differently, without involving Sophie. Heading to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water he realized he had no idea where Dean was. He couldn't still be working could he?

"Hey, mom, where's Dean?" He called to the living room where she was watching TV.

"Don't know. I tried calling him but his phone must be dead or shut off." Just then Sam heard the front door opening and Sam went to greet his brother.

"Mom, I couldn't find him, I-" Dean started but his eyes widened when he saw Sam there. Sam didn't understand the profound relief passing through his brother's eyes. He was then brought in for a tight hug, a hug he hadn't been expecting at all.

"Thank god." Dean pulled back, one hand on his shoulder.

"Dean, what are you-" Dean eyes roamed across the room, seeing Mary relaxed on the couch. Anger now filled his eyes instead. He dropped the hand.

"Where the hell were you Sammy?! I've been looking for almost two hours!" Sam blinked. He had no idea this would happen.

"I uh... went to the library. Research, you know." He kept his voice down so Mary wouldn't hear. Dean stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"What?" He demanded though gritted teeth.

"Yeah, research-" Dean interrupted him and Sam looked down at his feet.

"I waited outside school. You weren't there so I went in, couldn't find you. Then I run into Kate-" Sam's head jerked up.

"You mean Kate, the girl you went on a date with like last week?" Dean glared at him.

"Yeah. And she says she's working there now all of a sudden, filling in for someone." Sam felt his blood run cold. "I go to Sophie's house and she says she hasn't seen you since detention. So when I'm running around all over town you're getting nerdy at the freaking library?" He spat.

"Dean I'm sorry, I was at the library to do research and then I took the buss home."

"And you thought you couldn't pick up the phone to tell me this why? I thought that Kate had…never mind." Dean said exasperatedly. He sighed and headed for his room, pushing Sam out of the way. Sam followed, feeling more stupid than ever. He tried to ignore the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was just pissed about you know, the whole girlfriend situation-"

"So you make me run all over town worried as hell?" He questioned with a dark look. "Grow up Sam." Sam jumped slightly when Dean slammed the door right in his face.

* * *

Sleep wouldn't come at first, Sam kept tossing and turning. He didn't exactly enjoy fighting with his brother but this time it was different. Sam knew that it was his own fault; he knew that he'd been childish. He hadn't expected for Dean to worry that much. Before he felt himself drifting off he decided to find some way to apologize tomorrow. The dreams were back, the ones he couldn't explain. The dreams that sparked some kind of recognition that he couldn't put his finger on. It was the one he'd had a few nights ago where he was wandering around in the woods.

 _He stopped in the middle of nowhere. The cold seeped in through his thin layers of clothes but he wasn't fazed. He felt it behind him, someone was there. He was where he was supposed to be, that's what mattered. Why, he didn't know. He almost felt his name before he heard it, inches away._

" _Sam."_

"Sam." A breath fanned across his face. He stirred, it felt too real. Forcing his tired eyes open, he blinked repeatedly. Sam froze, he could barely make out the outlines of a face close to his. What little light was in the room reflected in the white of the teeth showing in the smile that was just inches away from his own face. Panic took over and he shot out of bed, frantically searching for the light by his bed. The little lamp illuminated the room, the light painful to his unprepared eyes. No one. There was no one there. Sam didn't dare to move, breathing heavily for a minute. He put a hand to his forehead to find it covered in sweat. Dreaming, he must have been dreaming. What other explanation could there be? It took a while before he could go to sleep again and once he did nightmares were the only dreams Sam had that night. When he woke up in the morning he almost felt a bit ridiculous, getting that riled up over a dream. He left his room to grab some breakfast before school, completely unaware of the red writing left on his mirror.

 _Maybe you should change your locks._

 ** _A/N: Reviews are appreciated!_**


	7. Awake

_He wanted to wake up. This was not supposed to happen. The cold was invading his senses, where the hell was his jacket? All around him were trees, tall and dark. He had to get back, but how? The snapping of twigs behind him made him spin around with wild eyes._

"Sam?" His head jerked up when Sophie spoke to him. He hastily wiped away some drool from his chin after seeing her pointed look. Sam had fallen asleep. In class. _Jesus, what's wrong with me?_ Luckily the teacher hadn't noticed.

"Didn't you get any sleep last night?" Sophie asked, studying him with a concerned expression. Sam shook his no as he yawned.

"Bad dream." He ran a hand down his face, trying his best to wake up. "Wait what time is it?" Sam hoped he hadn't missed detention, this was the last one and he couldn't be gladder that it was almost over.

"Detention time it seems." Sophie mused as she cast a look on her watch. Sam nodded and gathered his things.

"Hey." Before he could leave Sophie touched his arm. "What happened last night? Dean came over all worried, wondering where you were. Did you fight or something?" She asked, brows furrowed. Sam sighed, his guilt creeping up again.

"Yeah, you could say that. But we'll work it out, don't worry." Sophie gave him a small smile as he left. He realized it sounded like he was trying to convince himself instead of her.

Mary drove him home after detention. Their conversation flowed quite easily; she was asking some questions about Sophie while trying not to be too nosy. Sam found himself lying more effortlessly now, he wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

"I was thinking of ordering pizza today, is that alright?" She asked as they got home. Sam nodded as he hung his jacket.

"Of course." She smiled.

"Okay, I'll order." Sam hesitated before he made his way to Dean's room.

* * *

"Yeah?" Dean called when he heard a knock. He knew it was Sam before he walked in. Dean looked up from the car magazine he was reading, mouth pursed in thought as he took in Sam's awkward figure. Dean couldn't help the twinge of guilt seeing his brother's insecure face. Sam reached for his pocket and fished out whatever he was looking for. He held it out to his brother in a silent apology. Seeing his brother's sad eyes, Dean's resolve went out the window. His face lit up at the sight of the chocolate bar in Sam's hand. He sat up a grabbed it with a small grin.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I-" Dean held his hand up and gestured for him to sit down. He could feel his brother's eyes on him, still a bit nervous.

"Don't worry Sammy; I kind of had something coming my way anyway right? I know the whole Sophie-idea wasn't exactly ideal, you know?" Dean shot him an apologetic look. "Guess I'm the one who should be apologizing really-" Sam interrupted this time.

"No, well maybe but I was stupid, not telling you where I was going." Dean nudged his side, telling him it was ok.

"I was worried, that was all." Dean fiddled with the bar in his hands. "Thanks for this by the way." He said, looking up with a smile. Sam got to his feet, chuckling.

"Don't mention it."

"The library though? I'd be happy to hear you say went to a club or something, but the library?" Dean said in a teasing tone which made Sam roll his eyes.

"Research, Dean. I was trying to find something about…" He cast a quick look over his shoulder. "You know." Sam kept his voice low.

"So did you find anything?" Dean asked curiously. Sam shrugged helplessly and Dean arched a brow.

"Not really. I'm not sure what's real and what's not. There's a lot of fiction out there, Dean. To find out what we're looking for we'd need someone who has experience." Dean knew where his brother was going and ran a hand down his face.

"Like mom."

"Yeah." Sam said quietly, looking at his feet.

"Well that's not happening." Dean said, his voice firm.

"So what do we do?" Sam said, his stance now restless.

"We still have a lead. Kate, she's definitely not who she says she is. Dating me and now all of a sudden she's working at your school?" Sam hummed in agreement. "I say, we get her to talk and we might have some information. What better information could you get than from the source itself huh?" Sam rolled his eyes.

"And how are you suggesting we do that? Torture 101 or something?" Dean scoffed.

"At first, we give her what she wants." Sam met his eyes, not following.

"Which is?" He prodded.

"Me. It'll be a trap. She seems insistent on meeting up again so I'm sure she won't say no." Sam nodded, processing their plan. A plan they both knew would involve risks.

"Boys, I'm heading out to get the pizza alright?" Sam jumped at their mom's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Bye!" He called back. "We'll talk more about this later right?"

"Yeah." Sam left Dean's room. Dean picked up his magazine again but he couldn't focus enough to understand what he was reading. His mind was already planning, how would he set the trap for Kate? Would he just call her to ask her out again or should he-

"What the-DEAN!" Dean was instantly on his feet when he heard his brother's panicked tone. He rushed to his room, head spinning slightly at the sudden movement.

"Sammy? What's wrong?" He asked, mildly breathless. His eyes searched the room for whatever had caused Sam to call. Dean saw his brother, backed up against the wall by his closet, eyes glued on something in front of him. Anger and fear crept up within Dean at the same time, who would do something like this? _The keys…_ He saw Sam freaking out in the corner of his left eye. Dean forced himself to look away from the messy handwriting on the mirror. Hurriedly he went to his brother's side, putting a supporting hand on his shoulder.

"Come on little brother, let's get out of here okay?" He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. Sam ran a hand through his messy hair, breathing raggedly.

"But Dean, I dreamt and I thought it was nothing-but…" He was rambling, fear written across his suddenly pale face. Dean ushered him out of the room and into his own, making him sit down on the bed. Their mom would be home soon and this one would be hard to explain.

"I thought it was a nightmare..." Sam put his head in his hands, still talking incoherently.

"Calm down, Sammy. Talk to me." Dean knew it had to be stressful for Sam with him hovering but he couldn't bring himself to sit down. Anger rose again, making him clench his fists. He cast a look behind him, trying to calm down. _The sick son of a bitch who did this is going to pay._

"Sammy, who wrote that?" Dean managed through gritted teeth.

"I-I don't know. I didn't see it there this morning but I dreamt-well I thought I dreamt-"

"I'm not following. You have to calm down. You're okay, no one's here." Sam took a deep breath and nodded shakily.

"I thought I had a nightmare last night. Someone was in my room, Dean. Smiling down at me. I freaked out of course but when I turned the light on no one was there." Dean felt his blood run cold.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Dean demanded, voice rising.

"I thought I was dreaming, Dean! It didn't make any sense." Sam looked at the floor, gradually calming down. "Someone was in here which means they have the keys that went missing." Dean cursed inwardly.

"We have to change the locks." Sam nodded. Dean took a breath and thought for a minute.

"You're not sleeping in there tonight. Whoever is doing this is targeting you."

"I'm not sleeping in here, Dean." Sam said with a bitter chuckle.

"No, we're crashing in the living room tonight. It's right by the front door which is the only way in. If someone's coming we'll know."

* * *

"Is she asleep?" Dean whispered way too loudly from across the hallway. Sam turned around, gesturing for him to keep it down. He listened for a few seconds, sighing in relief. Sam carefully made his way to the living room, trying to make as little noise as possible. They had wanted to wait until Mary was asleep, she would just ask questions. Dean was propped up on the left side of the couch, practically inhaling a bag of chips.

"Dude, you just ate." Sam said with a half-disgusted snicker. Dean nodded, chewing frantically. If anything was to wake their mom, it would probably be from that sound.

"Yeah, like two hours ago, a man's got to eat." Sam rolled his eyes as he tried to make himself comfortable on the other end of the couch.

"Dean, move your legs a little or I'm going to fall off." Sam said, irritably pushing his brother's legs away. Dean humphed in protest but was already starting to doze off. Sam chuckled and grabbed the bag of chips from Dean's chest and sat it on the table. He lay back down and grabbed one of the blankets. He was really tired but at the same time he didn't want to fall asleep. The memory of the night before was still fresh in his mind. Sam shuddered and shifted restlessly.

"Can't sleep?" Dean mumbled suddenly after a few minutes. Sam sighed.

"No."

"The 'dream'?" He could hear the quotation marks in his brother's voice.

"Yup." Sam yawned again. He was debating whether to tell Dean about everything else and decided that there was no reason not to anymore. "Not just because of that but because of…" Sam trailed off, realizing he didn't know how to explain the dreams he'd been having lately.

"Sammy?" Dean asked a little worriedly.

"I've been having dreams, really weird ones. I'm out in the woods for some reason and it's cold." Dean shifted on his end of the couch.

"Yeah?"

"I can't really explain it but…it's like I'm aware of everything that's happening but I'm completely detached, like I wouldn't care if were to catch fire or something. And then-" Thinking about it made him shudder again. "And then someone's behind me, waiting. I always wake up before I see who it is." Sam could feel Dean tensing up.

"And you've had this dream a few times now?"

"Yeah, but it's slightly different each time, revealing more or sometimes less. I swear it's something about them, they're so familiar. Like I've lived it." Dean was quiet for a minute.

"You don't think-" Dean didn't continue, quickly shutting himself up. Sam sat up.

"Dean, what?" Dean muttered something and sighed.

"I just thought about what happened five years ago in Wyoming. You don't think you're remembering-" Sam had thought about it but didn't want to talk about it now. That night was still a terrifying mystery to them all.

"No, that doesn't make any sense. Why would I dream about it?" Sam took a deep breath when he heard how defensive he sounded.

"Well, wake me if you need anything alright?" Dean said, barely understandable since he was caught up in a yawn.

"Yeah." It took a while before Sam could fall asleep but once he did he was out like a light.

* * *

His mind was a haze, he couldn't focus on anything. It felt like he was desperately hanging on to consciousness. In the dark, he could only just make out the tall shapes of trees around him. He sighed as everything fell into place, it was the dream again. The cold was undeniable, it made his teeth clatter. He took a few steps, trying to keep warm. Looking down, he saw that he had no jacket on, only the clothes he usually slept in. He froze; this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Spinning around, he tried to make out anything other than trees. Alarm rose in him when he heard twigs snapping, making his heart beat faster. He wanted to wake up. Sam tried to force himself awake but to no avail, he already was.


	8. I Remember

**A/N: The parts in italics are flashbacks to five years ago.**

 _January, 1993, Jackson, Wyoming_

" _Dean, did you ditch from English class again?" Mary set the phone down with a thud, narrowing her eyes at him. Dean groaned, he thought he had gotten away this time. He looked up from his game thoughtfully. Innocence could be the way to go._

" _Doesn't ring a bell, no. What, did the principal call or something?" He asked shamelessly. Mary's eyes narrowed even more, crossing her arms._

" _We've been over this Dean, you can't skip class whenever you want to-"_

" _But it's brain dead mom, Mrs. White wants us to read or something and- "_

" _And you would only benefit from it Dean, I'm telling you." Now Dean looked up with a glare._

" _Are you hinting at something? I'm sorry for not being the perfect son, a straight-A student like Sammy." Mary took a breath, gathering patience._

" _I don't need you to be okay? I just need you to put some effort into-"_

" _Yada, yada. Whatever. I'm going to stare into a wall or something. Hell, maybe even read a book. I think I'll benefit from that a lot more than this, right mom?" She opened her mouth to snap back but was interrupted by the ring of the phone. Mary gave him a warning look before answering that said, "We're not done here". Dean rolled his eyes and started to head for his room._

" _Hello?" Dean turned around, was it the principal again?_

" _Yes, this is Mary Winchester." Whoever she was talking to had bad news, he saw the color drain from his mom's face. Dean tensed, this couldn't be about him, was it Sammy?_

" _My god, no I haven't heard from him. When did the teacher notice he was gone?" She asked, dragging a hand shakily through her hair. The person on the other end was obviously trying to soothe her; Dean noticed her growing more annoyed every second._

" _That doesn't matter now does it since your staff couldn't handle the very easy task they have which is to look after the children." Dean swallowed, hearing her tone. This was bad._

" _Trust me; I'm not even remotely angry yet. Have you at least managed to call the police? Because if not, I will this second." The person on the other end apparently had done so._

" _Are they there right now?" Dean wished he could hear the full conversation. This had to be about Sam. He pushed down the worry seeping through him, they had to focus._

" _Alright, I'll be there in 15." She hung up the phone, immediately heading for the front door._

" _Mom, it's Sammy right?" He asked nervously. She looked at him, grabbing her car keys before motioning for him to follow._

" _Yeah." She said tensely as they jogged down the steps of the porch. "It was the elementary school. Sam went missing sometime during school today, no one saw him leave." Dean got into the car. The worry was now impossible to ignore._

* * *

 _1998, April, Salt Lake City, Utah_

Sam was freezing; he didn't think he'd been this cold in his 15-year old life. It was dark, he could hardly see through the darkness that surrounded him. He stumbled forward, reaching to feel if anything was in front of him. Sam grasped thin air. Taking a step back, he felt tears fill his eyes, how would he get out of here? It was too dark. This didn't make any sense, he had been dreaming about this so why was he here in the middle of the woods? Sam knew he couldn't ignore the sense of familiarity, this had happened before.

"Dean!" He called, wincing at how pathetic his voice sounded. Of course his brother wouldn't be here. The panic was right there and Sam didn't know how to stop it. What he did know was that he had to move or he would freeze to death. Pausing to listen he could hear the faint sound of the freeway coming north. With shaky steps he made his way through the trees, careful not to walk into anything. He realized his night vision was getting better, he had adjusted. It could have been an hour, ten minutes, he didn't know but he finally saw a light ahead. His pace quickened, it was a trail, he saw. Sam had made it to the trail and all he had to do was follow it. He had no idea where it would lead him.

* * *

Dean woke up with surprisingly much space for his legs. Stretching, he yawned. He sat up confusedly, where was his brother? Casting a look at the clock, he saw that it was 6:17. The light illuminating the room didn't make any sense; he had turned all the lights off before they crashed on the couch. Turning around, he found the front door open, the light from the corridor shining into their apartment. A strong sense of that something was terribly wrong crept through Dean.

"Sam!" He called in a hushed tone. No answer. Checking the bathroom he saw that there was no one there. Dean walked back into the living room, carefully stepping out through the open front door.

"Sam?" Still no answer. _Where did the kid go?_ He closed the door and headed for Sam's room. He wasn't there either. Dean felt his heart beat faster, worry now growing. Taking a breath, he tried to gather his thoughts. _His phone._ Quickly Dean headed for his own room, dialing Sam's number. Shortly after, he heard the ring coming from Sam's room. _Damn it Sammy._ Dean realized that he had to wake his mom, he had no choice. He opened her door slightly and saw her stir from the sound.

"Mom, wake up."

* * *

" _They still haven't found anything?" Dean asked anxiously as Mary got back in the car. She shook her head no, worry etched across her face._

" _They said they'll use dogs; see if they can catch his scent. I just hope…God-"She trailed off, tears falling down her cheeks. Dean felt the lump in his throat grow, they had to find Sammy._

" _It's okay mom, he'll come home." They both jerked at the sound of someone knocking on the glass. It was one of the police officers. Mary swiftly rolled the window down._

" _Yes?"_

" _We're sending the dogs out now, shouldn't be too long until we find him." He said reassuringly. His kind smile was lit up by the surrounding red and blue siren lights. Mary nodded and gave an unconvincing smile back._

" _I'm sure we'll find him shortly, ma'am. Don't worry."_

* * *

"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll find him." Mary nodded but didn't stop pacing. They were at the police station and every minute since they had gotten there had been like hell, where was Sam? Dean couldn't ignore the strong sense of déjà vu; this was eerily similar to what happened in Wyoming. _And we talked about it just a few hours ago._ Dean cursed; he should have done something, anything. The dreams his brother had told him about was obviously out of the ordinary. Dean felt his patience run out, they had been here for an hour and he hadn't noticed the police doing anything to actually find Sam. He walked up to the desk, thrumming his fingers on the wood.

"Hey, remember me?" The man behind the desk arched an eyebrow.

"I'd appreciate it if you could sit down by the-"

"When I see some actual work being done to find my brother, I _might_ consider sitting down. Until then I'd like to know what the hell is going on." Dean felt a hand on his shoulder, calming him down.

"What my son means is that we're really worried and-"

"I understand that but you also have to understand since his previous records-"The man adjusted his glasses and Dean had the sudden urge to crush them in his hands.

"His what?" Mary questioned. Dean didn't follow, Sam had a record? _Sam?_ The man was now visibly annoyed.

"His records. We pulled up his file and saw that in 93 he ran away in Wyoming. That's correct isn't it?" Dean could hear just a hint of a smug tone. He groaned to himself, they had it all wrong.

"Yes, well you see I understand how that looks but I promise you it wasn't as simple as that. He didn't just run away, it's a misunderstanding." Mary explained, voice strained.

"The file doesn't tell me that. How is it a misunderstanding? He was obviously fine last time, I don't see how this is any different."

"So you're saying that because he came back home, five years ago I might add, after going missing for several hours, it's just the same thing happening now?" Mary said, leaning forward with hard eyes.

"What I'm saying is simply that you shouldn't worry. He'll come home any minute. We have to take tendencies like these into consideration- "The officer babbled on, sounding like a script.

"Tendencies? He can't even remember what happened last time!" Mary said, voice rising.

"And I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning but that doesn't put me in any danger does it? Your son was fine last time, even if he didn't remember or whatever it is you're saying. He'll be fine this time too. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some work that I need to get back to." He said curtly, giving the chairs in the waiting room a pointed look. Dean scoffed, this guy was a joke.

"Come on mom, we're getting out of here."

They rode home in silence, both of them too annoyed and worried to speak. The time was now nearly 9 in the morning and Sam had been gone since 6.

"What are we going to do, mom?" Dean asked quietly in the elevator. She shifted restlessly.

"I don't know. We've done what we can with the police. Even if they're jerks they have been notified that he's missing so that's something at least." The elevator doors opened and they both stopped in their tracks. Dean blinked and then he rushed forward, bringing his brother in for a hug. Sam protested slightly at the sudden lack of oxygen.

"I'm fine, Dean, just tired." Dean didn't miss the haunted look in his tired eyes. Mary's arms immediately replaced Dean's.

"Sam, thank god!" She pulled away, hands on his shoulders. Looking up at him with suspicious eyes she pushed some hair out of his face.

"Where have you been? I thought something terrible had-" Mary's voice trembled lightly.

"I woke up and you were just gone, man. Do you have any idea- "Dean started. Sam held his hands up.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I came home just before you guys did but I didn't have keys on me so-"

"What happened Sammy?" Dean interrupted impatiently. Sam took a breath and fiddled with his sleeve. Dean frowned; he was still wearing his pajamas.

"I'm not sure. But I remember. I think I remember what happened five years ago."

* * *

 _The police told them to go home and wait; there was nothing for them to do at the school anyway. A police car parked beside them as they pulled up in the driveway, probably in case Sam would come home. Dean could tell his mom was worried out of her mind, so was he. Sam was only ten, the thought of him wandering around somewhere by himself made Dean uneasy. Mary pulled the keys out of the ignition and turned to Dean with tired eyes._

" _Okay, I guess now all we can do is wait and let the police do their job. Are you hungry?" Dean shrugged; he couldn't care less right now. He noticed the police officer getting out of his car, walking towards the porch. He frowned; he wasn't going in the house was he? Dean saw him crouch down and the faint sound of him talking to someone only increased his confusion._

" _Mom." Dean got out of the car and froze. Sam? He vaguely noticed his mom follow him as they rushed to the porch where Sam was sitting. His small frame was shaking; he wasn't wearing his jacket._

" _Sammy!" They both called, making him look up with big, scared eyes. Dean shrugged his jacket off and wrapped it around him before giving him a tight hug._

" _Where were you Sammy?" Mary wrapped her son in her arms, crying again. The police officer took a step back to give them some privacy._

" _We were so worried! Are you hurt Sam?" All the questions coming at once made Sam blink like a deer in head lights._

" _No, I'm okay, just cold." Dean looked his brother over, his eyes caught on something red that had dried on his chin._

" _Did you fall? There's blood right there." Dean pointed out, gesturing. Sam raised his hand in confusion, completely unaware of this. Mary took a shaky breath, hugging him tightly again._

" _Sam. I need you to tell me what happened. Where did you go during school? Did someone come to get you? Did you come home by yourself?" Sam's eyes widened even more as the police officer spoke to him. Dean had never seen him like this, so scared._

" _I…" Sam looked down at his lap slowly. He hugged Dean's jacket tighter around him. Looking up again, a tear fell down his cheek. "I can't remember."_


	9. Five Years Ago

_A few hours earlier_

The trail seemed endless, Sam felt like he'd been walking for ages. Judging from the light it was still early morning, he hoped that Dean and Mary wouldn't notice that he was gone or he'd never hear the end of it. How would he explain this one? _Hey mom, there's this new thing I started doing where I reenact my dreams._ No, he couldn't explain what he didn't fully understand yet himself. A branch brushed against his face, spreading water on his cheek. Annoyed at his own daydreaming, he wiped it away. A sudden pain shooting through his head made him gasp. Sam blinked, his vision cloudy.

 _Feeling his nose running from the cold he tried to wipe it away. The red caught his attention, blood? Since there was now light he tried feeling his nose, looking down at his hand. No, it wasn't a nose bleed. Absentmindedly, he tried to wipe it away. Realizing that he didn't care or that it didn't matter, he made his way back. They would know he was gone by now._

Brought back to reality, he tried to catch his breath. The flashback that came out of nowhere left a headache behind. He didn't want to admit it to himself but he knew what it had to be. It could only be what had happened five years ago. Now, for some reason, he was living it again, like as if his body wanted to remember. Yawning, he kept on walking. A bit further up ahead Sam could see what he thought looked like a building. He quickened his pace, hoping there was someone there who could help him. It was a cabin, appearing to be some small shop. He tried the door, it was open. Half-expecting the ring of a bell as he entered, he paused. There was no sound at all. The few racks of items were almost empty, a stray candy bar or bag of chips here and there. There was something off about the air in here, as soon as he'd stepped in he knew that he shouldn't be here.

"Hello." Sam couldn't have disguised his jump even if he'd really wanted to. He turned around and squinted, the air dusty. As soon as he saw him the pain was back, making it impossible to see anything other than what his mind wanted him to see.

" _Sam." He turned around to be met with a proud smile. There was something wrong with his eyes, Sam knew they should make him shy away._

Groaning, Sam grasped his head. He blinked repeatedly, trying to force his eyes to regain focus. As he doubled over in pain something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Furniture was scattered in the back room, like there had been some kind of struggle. A puddle of something was spreading across the floor. The spots swimming before his eyes were receding.

"What's happening to me?" He whispered, not sure if he was talking to himself or the man. The pain disappeared slowly, enough so that he could straighten up and take a look at whoever it was in front of him. Those same eyes met his knowingly. Sam took a step back instinctively, swallowing.

"Who are you?" The man didn't answer, he just took a step forward as if he was studying him. Sam couldn't bring himself to look into those eyes much longer than a second at a time, they glinted in some predator-like odd color that he couldn't put his finger on.

"I-I know you. Why am I here?" Sam managed to stutter out. Once again, his gut feeling told him to get out of here. The man chuckled.

"Because I wanted you to be here. I wanted you to remember, Sam." Sam took another step back, bumping into one of the racks. A part of him wasn't even surprised that the man knew his name.

"I remember walking and seeing you and-and then I was bleeding…" Sam stopped when he realized just how crazy he sounded.

"Your blood?" The man questioned. The corner of his mouth curled up. Sam blinked, momentarily frozen in fear. Before he knew what he was doing he shot out through the door, running for all he was worth.

* * *

 _Now_

"And then I ran until the trail ended and this really nice lady drove me home after seeing my lack of…" Sam gestured to his pajamas. "Normal clothes."

"You get her number?"

"Dean." Mary shot her older son a dark look. Sam rolled his eyes, seeing Dean snicker. Knowing him so well Sam knew it was only halfhearted, he'd been worried. So had his mom who now brought him in for another hug.

"You're sure that you're fine?" She demanded. He nodded tiredly.

"I'm sure mom, just a little shaken up I guess. Sleepwalking will do that to you." He gave his brother a pointed look, catching the keys he threw him with one hand.

"Yeah, you should rest Sammy. Good thing it's the weekend." Sam hummed in response. He felt a hand on his shoulder before he could step into the apartment. Mary turned him around carefully.

"What did the man look like Sam?" She asked, meeting his eyes warily.

"Around your age, maybe older. Short hair. And then his eyes of course like I told you about." She nodded and looked at her feet. He realized she must be thinking of the demon. The fear he'd felt before came rushing back. He couldn't know if it was in fact him. Had he found them after all this time?

"If I saw him again I'd recognize him but I don't know- "

"You're not going to Sammy, not on my watch." Dean said unwaveringly. Sam gave him a small, unconvincing smile before heading to his bedroom.

* * *

Dean looked up from his bowl of cereal he'd just poured himself when Sam came into the living room, face paler than usual. Dean frowned, the kid was supposed to get some sleep. Sam saw his questioning look and shrugged, half-embarrassed.

"The- the paint on the mirror. I forgot it was still there, going to crash here instead." He explained, lying down on the couch." Dean scolded himself for not washing it away.

"Shit, sorry. I'll fix it okay?" Dean got up, casting a worried look at his brother who was yawning, trying to get comfortable on the couch. He grabbed some paper and wet it in the sink, praying that the color hadn't stuck to the glass surface. A few minutes later he proudly observed his work, he'd gotten all of it off. As he made his way back to the living room he noticed his mom painting something on both of their bedroom doors. Dean stopped in his tracks, studying her strange work. He had no idea what those symbols were.

"Mom?" Her head snapped up briefly, now noticing him standing there. She quickly got back to doing whatever it was she was doing.

"Yeah?" Her voice held that absent tone she got whenever she was really focused on something.

"Interesting choice of…wall-art décor you got going there." He mused, scratching his head.

"It's for protection." Dean's eyebrows shot up.

"Do I even want to kn- "She turned to him with a glare.

"Against demons, Dean. Now with Sam, we can't be sure we're still safe. I have to take every precaution." He nodded shortly, giving her work a last look before leaving. He was met by the sight of Sam passed out on the couch, snoring lightly. Dean chuckled to himself. _And the kid claims he never snores._ He grabbed a blanket and placed it over his brother. Sitting down with a sigh he ran a hand down his face. Sam was fine, that was all that mattered.

* * *

 _He wasn't really there; he was just an observer. Still, he could feel the other presence in the room. It was the same room he'd been in before, just a few hours earlier. The chilling realization that he was dreaming made his heart beat faster. Sam wanted to wake up, not wanting to spend another minute in this room. The man stepped in from the other room, stopping slightly as if something caught his attention. His eyes roamed across the room. Sam knew he couldn't see him; he was dreaming after all. With an amused smile the man chuckled._

" _Hello Sam."_

Sam jerked up, arms and legs flailing around. Struggling to detangle himself from the blanket, he looked around wildly. He took a deep breath of relief when he realized he was home. Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to shake the feeling the dream left him with. If his dreams continued like this, unconsciousness would be more tiring than being awake.

"You okay?" Dean asked from the front door, looking at him with cautious eyes.

"Yeah, just a bad dream." He sat up straighter, trying to see what Dean was doing. Seeing his brother's confusion, Dean cleared his throat.

"I'm changing the locks. With your keys on the run and with the whole- you know- this had to be done. Not the cheapest investment though." Sam nodded, trying to hide the shudder that went through him at the thought of whoever had been in their home.

* * *

Sam didn't think he could appreciate a Monday this much. Dean and his mom had been hovering all weekend, practically babysitting him. He knew they were just worried but he needed some space to breathe. Sam didn't know if it was sad that he found school to be the source for some relief. He hugged Sophie as they greeted each other in the morning. She waved back to Dean who sat in the impala, waiting to drive away until Sam had entered the school.

"So will you be needing my fake girlfriend services anytime soon? Another awkward family dinner?" She asked with a teasing grin. Sam huffed, scratching his neck.

"We'll see, I'll let you know. I'm sorry about that by the way, my brother can be an ass." Sophie shrugged happily.

"He has his charms." She said, adjusting her bag pack. Sam scoffed.

"Yeah, he likes to think so." They entered Mr. Roberts classroom. Since the whole detention thing Sam barely bothered looking at him, still irritated about it. Mr. Roberts nodded in greeting which Sam reluctantly returned. Sophie picked up her Hamlet book, the post-it note near the end of the book told him that she was almost done. Sam smiled to himself, they weren't supposed to be done for another two weeks. The hour passed at a pace that had kept his eyes glued to clock on the wall.

"Sam. Could I just borrow you for a second?"Mr. Rogers asked after the bell rang. _Hell no._

"Sure." Sam replied curtly. Sophie gave him a worried look before heading out. He met Mr. Rogers gaze, his eyes held a striking resemblance to a fish's eyes with those glasses on.

"I want you to go the library, Sam. The librarian wants to see you. Perhaps regarding that essay of yours about predators." Sam swallowed, he had to know that the essay wasn't real. Recomposing himself, he nodded with feigned interest.

"Kate, right?" Sam asked. Mr. Rogers smiled knowingly.

"Precisely. You should really listen to what she has to say." Feeling a shiver go down his spine, Sam's eyes fell to the ground. Nodding again, he left the classroom. He let out the breath he'd been holding as the door shut behind him. Sam knew he shouldn't go; he knew what she was. On the other hand, he was sick of everything that had happened lately, it had to end. With shaky steps he headed to the library.

The stale air of the library used to feel comfortably familiar. Now, it only made Sam uneasy. He looked around, the desk was empty. Briefly looking through the aisles of books he found them empty as well. He muttered under his breath, if she wanted to see him it would be easier if she was actually here. He found her by the doors where he'd just come from a minute ago, effectively blocking his only way out of here. She smirked seeing his uncomfortable expression. Sam pushed his fear down, she couldn't hurt him in a school library where anyone could walk in at any minute.

"You wanted to see me? About the paper?" Sam played along. She narrowed her eyes, taking a step closer to him.

"Let's skip the charade shall we? This tiptoeing around what we both obviously know is getting dull." Sam hadn't expected that. He crossed his arms.

"Fine. What do you want? I want to know what the hell's going on, why I'm being targeted or whatever- "

"Targeted? Silly boy. You should feel lucky." Kate scowled through her blue eyes. Sam blinked.

"Not really feeling that, no. I want to be left alone from you and your… kind." He gestured to her in distaste. "I would also appreciate if you kept the house calls to a minimum." Kate smiled smugly.

"I will." She said, her tone not convincing him at all.

"I'm sensing an if here." She took another step closer. Sam had to force himself to stay put.

"You're not as dumb as I thought you were." She mused, twirling a strand of dark hair. Her eyes darkened as she met his gaze. "I won't interfere in your life anymore if you do what he says." Sam's mouth fell open in protest, not knowing who she was talking about.

"He?" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't play coy, Sam. You know who I mean. You have met him after all." Her cold blue eyes burrowed into his, searching for a reaction. Sam tried to keep his expression blank but judging from her chuckle he hadn't succeeded. He took a breath.

"What could he want with me?" He asked quietly, not trusting his voice.

"He has great plans for you, Sam. If you agree to follow them, you and your family will be left alone. If you do not, well." She shrugged indifferently. "I can get creative." She flashed him a quick smile, white teeth gleaming. Sam had never felt this trapped in his life, he nervously eyed the exit. He had to get out of here. Kate studied his rising panic.

"Think about it." She said, taking a step to the right. "You can go, Sophie's probably waiting for you." Sam didn't need to be told twice, almost tripping over his own feet on the way out.


	10. Find A Way

**A/N: Yes I'm still alive. It sure has been a while since I updated this story but I haven't abandoned it. Reviews are always appreciated! I also have another story, Some Kind Of Trouble, which is pretty different from this one. Feel free to check it out.**

Dean almost took the hinges off the door of the impala as he shot out of the driver's seat. He was fuming, that black-eyed bitch actually had the nerve to threaten his brother in school.

"Are you hearing me Dean? I can't do anything about this." Sam was also out of the car, effectively blocking Dean's way back to the school. "She will hurt you, I'm sure of that." Dean cursed, slamming the door shut.

"So you're just going to give up and be this demon's bitch?" Dean cried, fists clenched. Sam's eyes fell down to the ground.

"Well not Kate's bitch, the demon's- "Dean snorted in exasperation. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"It's the same thing Sam, don't you see that! She's doing _his_ dirty work, following _his_ orders. He killed dad, you remember that don't you? And now you're going to do what he says just because of some sick plan he has?" Dean knew in the back of his mind that he was being hard on Sam but there was no way he was going to let his brother be put in danger like that. Sam's gaze darkened.

"I'm well aware of that, Dean." Sam said quietly, taking a deep breath. "But what other choice is there? She'll hurt you and mom." Dean sighed, dragging a hand down his chin. It was dark outside already and with the sun gone it had gotten significantly colder. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to fix this, take Sam's place, just anything to solve this situation.

"Okay, hear me out Sammy." Sam's sad eyes met with his. "We're going to go home and we're going to think about this. We will find a way, alright?" Sam didn't respond. Dean could practically hear him thinking. After a few seconds he nodded and got into the car. Dean sighed in whatever temporary relief he could find considering the circumstances.

* * *

Meeting Mary's suspicious scowl, Sam knew that there was definitely something wrong. He gave his brother a sideways questioning glance as they sat down together at the kitchen table. Dean didn't meet his eyes but from his wary posture Sam could tell that he felt it too. Mary set a bowl of pasta down on the table with an unnecessarily heavy thud. Sam straightened up nervously, clearing his throat. Dean remained quiet, a hard expression taking form on his face. An expression identical to their mother's.

"Something you want to share mom or are you keeping us in the dark for the sake of suspense? I can get some popcorn." Dean said without humor. Sam felt like slapping his brother. Whatever this was about, Dean wasn't exactly helping the situation. Mary gave her oldest son a cold look before sitting down herself.

"You tell me, Dean." Sam swallowed before speaking up.

"Mom, what's wrong?" He asked hesitantly. Receiving no answer at first, Dean scoffed and started loading his plate with pasta.

"Everything apparently since the two of you have been lying to me for weeks now. I didn't put two and two together at first but I'm not entirely stupid." Sam blinked but quickly tried to regain his composure.

"I don't- what are you talking about?" It was Sam's turn to be met with a cold look. Dean had paused his eating, eyes flickering to Sam briefly.

"Changing the locks, staying out late, acting weird. This lying about what you have been doing will stop _now_. Is that understood?" She said, voice alarmingly low.

"Well technically we haven't lied, we just haven't told you what we've been doing." Sam elbowed his brother's side as discreetly as he could. Dean had to learn when to shut up.

"Mom, it's not what you think- "Sam jumped in.

"So you haven't been out looking for demons?" Mary spat. Sam didn't think he'd ever seen her this angry before. Dean unfortunately decided to open his mouth again.

"Oh, they found us actually. Guess this protective crap was for nothing, huh? You want to catch up mom? Well please let me tell you the short version." Sam tried to interrupt but was stopped by Dean's raised hand, telling him to shut up. Dean leaned in closer, anger lacing his voice. "I went on a date with this bitch named Kate, eyes a little too black if you know what I mean. Then Sam is bullied by his demon teacher. To spice things up Kate fills in as the new librarian at school and decides to scare Sam half to death with a little house call. Then our favorite demon who killed dad decides to blackmail my brother by using Kate to threaten my life. And yours. I think that's all. Did I miss anything Sammy?" Dean mused, never breaking eye contact with their mother who had paled remarkably. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Dean's words had stunned her. Sam noticed his brother breathing much quicker than usual, where had this anger suddenly come from?

"Dean, please- "Mary tried but Dean got up abruptly, voice strained.

"Not now, mom." He hurried to his room, leaving Sam and Mary in an awkward silence. Sam didn't know what to say. What they'd kept from her for weeks was now out there and it left a strange feeling behind. Mary sighed, rubbing her temples.

"He blames me." Sam blinked.

"What?" He wondered. She looked up, eyes worried and tired.

"He blames me, Sam. And he's right to. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been put in this situation." Sam could see the guilt washing through her. Once again, he felt like slapping his brother. She shouldn't have to blame herself like this.

"Mom, that was ages ago. Dean's just stubborn, he didn't mean it." Mary chuckled.

"Yes he is. But I understand where he's coming from." Sam waited for her to continue.

"Why?" He prodded. Mary's sad eyes met his.

"Because I would have acted the same way." Sam nodded shortly. The ticking of the clock grew louder by the second in the heavy silence.

"You know there's no point in moving now right? It's already too late." Sam said. Mary's posture straightened, something dark taking form in her expression.

"Yeah, I know." Sam's appetite was gone so he got up and put his empty plate by the sink.

"It'll be fine mom. We will find a way, alright?" Sam somehow found himself repeating his brother's words from earlier. They came out more heartfelt than he'd expected. He was met with no reply so instead he made his way to Dean's room. Not bothering to knock, he made his way inside. Dean was lying on his bed, eyes closed and headphones on but Sam knew that Dean was aware of him.

"Ever heard of privacy Sam?" Dean questioned, voice uncharacteristically monotone. Sam scoffed, ripping the headphones off of his brother's head.

"Was your goal really to upset mom or are you just plain stupid?" Sam demanded, arms crossed. Dean met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. To his surprise, Sam wasn't met with a witty remark.

"Just leave, Sammy." He muttered. Sam closed his eyes, taking a breath. Why did everyone suddenly give up?

"Would you for once stop obsessing about my well-being and start behaving respectfully towards mom? She's blaming herself." Dean's hard eyes focused on the floor as he sat up. A familiar dark expression swept over his brother's features.

"And now you're feeling guilty. God, it's like a freaking pity party with you two." Sam groaned. Dean's head snapped up, glaring at him.

"I know I shouldn't have gone off on her like. I know that I can't blame her about the past. But this-it's just…" Dean trailed off, head in his hands. Sam softened his posture, sitting down patiently.

"What?" He asked carefully. Dean sighed, looking up again.

"I don't know how to fix this Sam. I don't know how to protect you from these things. And what makes it worse is that I should have seen this coming. This is really my f- "Sam cut him off, not wanting to hear anymore.

"No. Don't say that this is your fault. You and mom are both letting the blame fall on yourselves but what I don't understand is why we're not blaming the actual bad guys here. They're the reason behind all of this, Dean. It's not because of me, mom or you, okay?" Dean was silent for a few seconds, studying him with a small smile on his lips.

"You've really mastered the whole pep-talk thing, Sammy." Sam rolled his eyes, his brother's humor was back.

"Well I learned from the best I guess." Dean huffed, shifting uneasily.

"You don't really have a choice, Dean." Dean looked up in confusion. Sam chuckled.

"You have to talk to her and apologize. I know that's not your thing but she's our mom." Dean glared at him, muttering under his breath as he stood up.

"Get out of my head." He mumbled, scratching his neck as he left the room. Sam smiled to himself. Sometimes Dean was really easy to read and this time was no exception.

"Hey, Sam?" Dean called. The small hint of alarm in his tone made Sam get up and meet him in the living room. Mary was nowhere to be seen.

"Did mom say she was going somewhere?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head no. The bowl of pasta and all the dishes were exactly as when Sam had left her alone in the kitchen. There was something wrong about this and they could both feel it. Sam swallowed and looked around nervously.

"Mom?" Dean called out. Sam knew that he was trying to push down his worry. There was no response in the apartment.

"She's gone." Dean stated unsteadily, running a hand through his short hair.


	11. Somewhere New

**A/N:** **This is the last chapter and it's very long since it didn't feel right to have two separate ones. Feedback is appreciated! :)**

 _The smell of blood was overwhelming. In fact, it clouded Sam's senses. The metal smell filled his nostrils, it was so real. But it couldn't be. He knew he was dreaming, he had to be. Despite his attempts, he couldn't force himself awake. The pounding in his head increased with every breath he took. As he dared to peer his eyes open red was all he saw. That would explain the smell of blood. He took a step further into the room, his heart hammering away. Swallowing thickly, he forced himself to look again._

" _Dean!"_

"Sam!" His brother's hand on his shoulder startled him awake. Blinking in confusion he took in his surroundings. Right. They had crashed in Dean's room. The dresser was still blocking the door. The recollection of what had happened just a few hours ago dawned on him. With a sigh he met his brother's concerned eyes.

"Nightmare?" Dean asked warily.

"Yeah. I must have dozed off." Dean chuckled and sat down on his bed.

"At least one of us has gotten some sleep." Dean eyed the door with hard eyes. Sam shifted on his mattress on the floor.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Just waiting the night out here?" Even with the salt line and the gun under Dean's pillow, Sam wasn't so sure that they were safe.

"We can't go out there looking for her in the middle of the night, we're only vulnerable that way. Besides, she could be coming back." Sam frowned, staring up at his brother.

"What? She'd just leave us without a word like that? Mom would never do that Dean- "Dean's glower shut him up.

"There was also no sign of struggle, Sam. We know mom would do anything to protect us but when it comes to her old life… we don't know that person." Feeling Sam's incredulous stare, Dean sighed. "Listen, all I'm saying is that she might have a plan. One she didn't want us to have anything to do with."

"But what about Kate and the demon?" Sam protested. Dean tensed for a second before looking down at him.

"She could have gone after them. Or…worst case is they found her." Sam ran a hand through his hair restlessly.

"Which is why we're staying here doing nothing? Genius plan." Sam muttered.

"Well we do need an actual plan before we go out don't we?" Dean spat which caught Sam off guard. "For all we know there could be demons lurking around the apartment. Kate did threaten you so we have to take every precaution. So while I'm thinking about what to do next, quit being a bitch alright?" Dean said, venom in his tone. Sam looked down at his mattress and swallowed. He knew that his brother was under pressure but his words still stung. Dean sighed after a minute.

"I'm sorry Sammy. I just…I'm worried, okay? And pissed. If they hurt her…" The anger made his voice slightly unsteady. "When the sun comes up, we'll leave." The resolute tone made Sam settle for a nod.

* * *

A sudden loud thud startled Dean in the early hours of the morning. Sam was asleep again and had seemingly not been bothered by the sound. Dean sat up sharply, listening as intently as he could until his rapid heartbeat was deafening. He wasn't sure that it came from inside the apartment, it could've come from the outside. The hours dragged by and what little sleep he got was clouded by agitated dreams. Looking down at his brother, he smiled. His tall figure was draped along the mattress in a position that couldn't be comfortable and he was slightly drooling. Even though he was fifteen he managed to look ten years old sometimes. When the sunlight seeping in from the window met his eye he decided that it was time. Nudging Sam awake with his foot stirred him awake.

"Huh?" Dean chuckled at the sight of his brother's hair, living a life of its own.

"Morning, princess. Let's go." Sam yawned until his jaw cracked lightly and got to his feet. Together they moved the dresser, the sound without a doubt waking the neighbors living below them. Dean opened the door warily, watching the salt line break. Everything was in its place, just like they'd left it. They breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at each other briefly. The relief didn't last very long when they saw that the front door was wide open. Sam swallowed audibly. Dean looked around, trying to ignore the shiver going down his spine.

"Guess that bitch couldn't stay away." Dean walked out and pressed the button for the elevator. He frowned when he saw that Sam hadn't followed. Hearing a grunt of pain, he hurried back inside. His instincts immediately told him that something was wrong.

"Sammy?" His brother was crouched over, hands rubbing his temples and eyes screwed shut. He rushed to his brother's side. It wasn't like him to get any migraine attacks or anything.

"Sammy! What's wrong?" Dean asked, voice growing more anxious by the second. "Come on, you have to talk to me." Instead his brother fell to his knees, a wheezing breath escaping him. Dean crouched next to him in panic. How things could possibly have gotten any worse at this point was beyond him.

"Sam, open your eyes, alright?"

* * *

"Sam!" Sam could hear Dean but it felt…remote somehow. The pain was almost too much to bear but he could barely get any sound out. It was the dream again; it was all he could see. The blood was everywhere and he didn't know where it came from. Slowly but surely it began to dissolve and the pain lessened to some extent. _Trees_. He knew where it was and he didn't want to see it again. The cabin where he'd last seen the demon came into view. Someone was approaching it. Sam tried to force his eyes to focus but the pain came back with full force. He felt something warm trickling down his nose. Blond hair. It was their mom. She turned around, her features slightly blurred but Sam could still make out her expression. She was scared and it wasn't very often he'd seen her scared. The vision was slipping away, the feel of Dean's hand on his back now more real than whatever he was seeing.

"Sam!" Sam jumped at his brother's shout as he was brought back to reality. He drew a couple of shaky breaths, looking around wildly to ensure himself of his surroundings.

"What the hell man?" Dean demanded. Sam was helped to his feet and realized that he was almost drenched in his own sweat. He wiped the small trail of blood away from his nose.

"I don't know. I guess it was like a vision but I've dreamt parts of it before…" Dean's brows raised in confusion, shaking in his head in defeat.

"Sam, you're not making any sense here. What did you see?" Sam rubbed a hand over his forehead, feeling the ground underneath him sway a bit.

"Blood. And then mom." Dean froze, taking in what he'd just said. After a minute, he nodded with a hard set to his eyes.

"Fantastic. We need to find her. Now." Sam hummed in agreement, following his brother out the door and shutting it.

"Dean, I think I know where she might be." Dean turned around hesitantly. "In the cabin where I met the demon. She must have had some kind contact with him or else…"

"Sam. Let's just focus on getting there, alright? You'll have to give me directions." Sam nodded, focusing his gaze on the elevator door. The descent had never felt so slow. Sam swallowed as they made their way to the impala. They had no idea what they were walking into.

* * *

The trail didn't allow them to go much further with the impala. Dean reluctantly realized that the only choice was to walk to the cabin. They had barely spoken, the nervous tension tangible. He knew that it was stupid, heading into an unknown situation with a gun as their only weapon. The cabin was partly concealed by trees and greenery, like someone had forgotten the small building or simply left it to be swallowed by the woods. Dean turned to his brother as they neared the door.

"Sammy. I need you to be careful. Stay behind me, okay?" Sam gave a short nod, his attention on the door. In the corner of his eye he saw his brother fiddling with something behind him as he opened the door. The stale air filled his lungs and he had to suppress a cough. _Here goes nothing._

* * *

The second the door shut behind them Sam felt the air being knocked out of him. He registered the pain after he heard the thud of his head hitting the wall. To his right, Dean was struggling, forced against the wall. Just like he was. It didn't matter how much he tried, he still couldn't move. He met his brother's eyes panickily.

"Sammy- "

"What took you so long?" Sam had wished that he'd never hear that voice again but as his eyes met the yellow ones from across the room he knew that it had been inevitable.

"Where's our mom?" Dean snapped, managing to separate himself from the wall briefly but was pushed back by some force with a groan. The demon chuckled, stepping out from the shadows that had kept him hidden.

"Right here of course." Mary came into view from behind him, stumbling forward like someone had pushed her. The subsequent snicker confirmed Kate's presence. Sam cursed under his breath, why hadn't he seen this coming?

"I'm proud of you Sam. You made it all the way out here. For me." The demon said smugly. Dean snorted in disgust.

"We came here for our mother you son of a- "Dean was abruptly cut off, gasping for breath.

"You never seem to shut up, do you?" The demon mused disapprovingly. Sam met his mother's eyes, seeing the fear reflect in them. Once again he tried to move but all he managed was to wiggle his fingers.

"However, I was a bit taken aback by the change of events. Your mother came here, desperate to make a deal with me to leave the two of you alone. Guess she couldn't wait to repeat her mistake from the past." Mary's glower seemingly only made things more amusing to the demon who gave an elated smile. "I won't have that happening of course. Instead…" The demon grabbed Mary by her collar, away from Kate's grasp, and pushed her onto the floor in front of him. Dean growled next to Sam. "I thought we could liven things up a little." He motioned to Kate who sauntered over to stand in front of Sam and Dean, her features completely placid.

"So, Mary. We're going to play a little game and the rules are very simple. You get to decide which one of your sons who will survive. It's up to you since I'm pretty biased." The demon sighed but carried on with a shrug. Sam's blood had turned to ice. "Lucky for me, there are more children like Sam out there. Unfortunately for you, you pissed me off. Now choose."

"I will do no such thing." Mary said through clenched teeth, panic sweeping across her features before she composed herself. The demon looked down at her with interest and then rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Mary. You know I'm not kidding here. Just pick one. Will Sam live to see another day or will it be Dean?" Mary looked up at him with hatred.

"You sick son of a- "She cursed but was cut off.

"I guess your oldest son takes after you." The demon said, annoyance clear. He sighed dramatically.

"Play along here, it's not that hard. I mean surely it must be difficult, looking out after two boys. You'll spare yourself some trouble." He said with a shrug.

"Just take me instead." She spat. Dean struggled against the wall.

"Mom, no- "Sam began but stopped once Kate took a step closer.

"Choose." The demon knelt down next to her, yellow eyes piercing.

"No." Mary said, enunciating it with fervor.

"Choose!" The demon hissed, yanking her head back by her hair.

"Mom, pick Sam. It's okay- "Dean called and Sam glared at him incredulously.

"What the hell Dean! You don't get to sacrifice yourself for me! "Sam yelled at him, desperately struggling to reach his back pocket. Just a few more inches and he would be able to reach-

"For the love of god, shut the hell up!" The demon called out exasperatedly. A few seconds passed in absolute silence before the demon made up his mind. He ran a hand down his face.

"Fine. I'll play instead. Hope you're okay with my decision, Mary." Just as Sam's hand met with the metal the demon had already beckoned to Kate. It was just a few seconds to late. By the time Sam had managed to get the gun out of his pocket and aim the long barrel at the demon, Kate had stuck a knife into his brother's side. The loud bang ricocheted through the small space. That was all it took for Mary to spring into action. Charging Kate, she grabbed the bloody knife from her hands, slicing her throat with one clean sweep. Sam's shocked eyes were focused on the demon, looking equally shocked with a bullet through his skull. When he tumbled to the ground with a sparking sound Sam dropped the gun. He was dead. He had shot him. Sam blinked, not grasping what had just happened.

"No!" Mary's panicked scream got through to Sam in his dazed state. There was a ringing in his ears as he felt himself rush to Dean's side. The red was overwhelming, blood everywhere. Turning to his right he saw that some of it was from Kate, her lifeless blue eyes staring into nothing and brown hair plastered to the fresh cut on her throat. The puddle next to Dean was growing by the second. He heard Mary shout something at him but the ringing was too loud. He saw his hands shake in front of him but he couldn't make them stop. When green eyes met his frantically he felt himself snap back. Dean was gasping for breath, hands getting in the way of Mary's attempts at stopping the bleeding.

"Mom- "Sam managed to croak out. Her head snapped up to his, eyes hard as steel.

"Get it together. You have to help me, alright? Keep pressure here and I'll call an ambulance." She said, replacing her hands with Sam's on the makeshift band aid on Dean's side. It was her flannel shirt, he realized. It used to be blue. Mary rushed away and Sam increased the pressure on the wound as he saw more blood seeping out. He couldn't tell how deep it was.

"Sam-Sammy…" Dean stuttered out, teeth clattering together. Sam held his brother's arm down with his free hand.

"Dean, you'll be fine. I promise. Just don't try to talk anymore. Mom's- mom is- she is calling an ambulance." Sam babbled, his attempts as sounding reassuring failing. Dean grunted in response but stubbornly opened his mouth again.

"You- you okay?" He managed, wincing as Sam's once again pressed harder on the wound. The blood warmed his hands now. He looked around desperately for something to use as a new band aid and at the same time cursing at his brother's poor perception of his own well-being.

"I'm fine, Dean. You're the one with a hole in your side." He feigned a small smile, swallowing thickly. Dean snorted which he instantly regretted, eyes rolling back in pain.

"This s-sucks." He muttered, shifting around slightly. Sam tried to hold him down, eyes searching for their mother who was just on their way back to them. She put the phone down in her pocket and crouched down next to Dean, eyes roaming over his figure. She put a hand on his cheek, willing him to stay still.

"Dean, an ambulance is on its way, they'll be here in a few minutes." Dean looked at her for a second, gaze dimming over. She grabbed his shoulders, growing panic on her face.

"Dean?" Sam said, feeling his brother's body go limp. He felt his heart skip a beat and looked up at their mother in pure horror. She was shaking him lightly now. In the distance Sam thought he heard sirens. He looked at his brother's lifeless face, praying that it wouldn't end this way.

"Dean!"

* * *

Dean wasn't exactly a morning person, but he would still manage to force his eyes open and drag himself out of bed. Now, his eyelids had never felt so heavy. His groggy brain couldn't execute this simple action. Why was there a numb sensation on his side? Realizing that he didn't have the energy to care, he drifted off again.

" _Dean, please wake up."_ The words echoed through his confused mind.

When he came to the first thing he registered was the telltale sound of bad day-time TV. It wasn't loud but enough to make him frown, eyelids fluttering lightly. The white light was momentarily blinding and he had to blink a few times before he could focus on anything.

"Dean?" There was a slight flow of air hitting his face as his brother rushed to the bed. He grunted in response, still out of it. In front of him were two faces, two Sams. No. Dean blinked, squinting. Now there's was just one Sam. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked down in confusion. Sam was talking to him, words coming out a too fast pace for him to process. Dean tried to sit up, the horizontal position not exactly helping his grogginess. He regretted it as a searing pain shot through his side.

"Son of a bitch. "He hissed, laying back down.

"Dean, you can't move, you'll rip the stitches. How are you feeling?" Sam asked, eyes meeting his worriedly. Dean noticed the bags underneath his eyes, the streaks on his cheeks. Had he been crying? Sam looked at him expectantly. Dean cleared his throat.

"Never been better." He replied hoarsely. Sam rolled his eyes, handing a glass of water over. Dean took a few careful sips. "Seriously though, when can I get out of here?" He asked restlessly.

"You've just been stabbed, Dean. You were out for two days and we were worried as hell. For now, you're staying here, got it?" Sam said, voice wavering slightly with emotion which caught Dean off guard.

"Alright, bossy." Sam's mouth twitched as he looked down at his hands. None of them knew what to say for a minute. Dean looked around the room. On one of uncomfortable-looking chairs was their mother's bag.

"Where's mom?" Dean asked as Sam sat down next to the bed. Sam ran a hand through his messy hair. Dean realized that he probably hadn't taken a shower after everything. He hadn't slept either, from the looks of it.

"She went back to the cabin to clean everything up. Before someone finds…" Sam trailed off. Memories passed by in flashes of what had happened, making him wince.

"Is he dead?" Dean asked quietly. Sam met his gaze for a second before nodding.

"Yes. Kate too." Dean hummed.

"Good." He replied shortly. Sam opened his mouth briefly, as if there was something he wanted to say but he shut it again.

"Don't do that again, Dean." He murmured at last. Dean searched his brother's face for any clue of what he was talking about.

"What did I do now?" He said, brows raised. Sam glared at him accusingly.

"Don't try to sacrifice yourself like that again. And…don't do this again. You're not supposed to be here." Sam said quietly with big eyes, gesturing to the bed. Dean scoffed.

"I'll try not to get stabbed again, Sammy. And you're sure as hell not supposed to be here instead of me, I'll take this over that any day." Dean said firmly.

"Dean!" Neither of them had noticed Mary returning. She rushed to the other side of the bed, gathering Dean in a smothering hug. He couldn't help but smile but was still mindful of not moving too much.

"Thank god you're okay. When did you wake up?" She demanded, pulling her jacket off, glancing at Sam quizzically.

"Not too long ago." She nodded and then frowned, looking around.

"Sam, did you not call a nurse?" She asked in a stressed tone. Sam's eyed widened, hand scratching at his neck. Mary pressed a button by the bed and sat down with a sigh.

"They said to tell them immediately when he woke up, Sam. He's been comatose for two- "Dean held his hand up, seeing Sam shifting a bit in his chair.

"Mom, I'm fine. Sammy was busy scolding me for almost dying so we were preoccupied." Sam huffed but gave him a brief grateful glance. Quick steps approached the room, a male doctor followed by a nurse entering.

"Mr. Winchester, nice to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I don't have to stay here for much longer. When can I get out?" Mary nudged him in warning. The doctor chuckled.

"Well, luckily the knife missed any vital organs. You did lose a lot of blood though and you need rest so I'd say a few more days." Dean reluctantly nodded.

* * *

After the nurse had done some tests Sam knew that Dean would ask about the demon dying. Sam didn't even understand it at this point. Dean was eating his unappetizing hospital dinner and gave Mary sideway glances every now and then.

"Mom. How did Sam kill the demon with that gun? I thought he was close to indestructible or something." Mary froze slightly in her seat, putting the magazine she had been reading down slowly.

"That's right. But that gun was the Colt." She stated, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Okay?" Dean prodded. Mary sighed.

"It can kill essentially any supernatural creature, with just a few exceptions. Now that you've brought it up…" She fixed her stare on Sam who looked down at his lap. "How did you find it Sam? I was very careful. I'm not angry, I'm glad he's finally dead." Sam cleared his throat and glanced at his brother quickly.

"It started as dreams a while back, I kept seeing it. They also told me where to find you today, I saw it. And then I sort of stumbled upon the gun- "

"You looked for it in my bedroom." Mary stated.

"Yes." Sam admitted sheepishly. "I didn't realize that it was that special though, trust me. I knew that Dean wouldn't approve of me bringing it so I grabbed it just before we left the apartment." They stayed in silence for a minute, trying to somewhat digest what had happened today. While Sam couldn't deny feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders there was also a numb feeling left.

"How do you have the Colt mom?" Dean asked suspiciously. Sam saw her tense again.

"Well, I haven't had it for very long. I was afraid that he would find us one day. Us moving around so much wasn't just to keep you safe." Sam met his brother's confused gaze for a second before Mary carried on. "I was looking for the Colt. With the demon killing John I… I had to find a way to kill him. I couldn't give up. But when he threatened you two the only way out I saw was to make a deal- "She put her head in her hands, sighing.

"But we stopped you in time." Sam said, trying to lift the mood. She smiled briefly before fixing them with a stern look.

"Thing would've gone very differently today had you not showed up, that's true. But the two of you will never put yourselves in danger like that again, is that understood?" Sam and his brother had the sense to nod.

* * *

In the early morning hours Dean stirred awake, for a minute unsure of his surroundings. He felt a weight at his feet and looking down he saw Sam passed out, sitting on his chair but resting by the foot of the bed. Dean chuckled, the sound rousing Mary who'd been asleep in her chair. She stretched with a yawn.

"Should he really be sleeping like that? Must be painful." Dean said in a hushed tone. Mary smiled and shrugged.

"He finally got some sleep after all of this so I don't think he minds." Dean hummed.

"Will everything go back to normal now mom?" He asked, sounding much younger than he intended. Mary put a comforting hand on his arm.

"With what we know, Dean, things will never be normal. If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that. Doesn't mean we can't try to be though." She mused with a shrug. Dean smiled, glancing down at his brother who was gone to the world.

* * *

"And it is really important not to engage in any straining physical activity. We preferably would've liked to keep you for another day but- "The doctor said as Dean was helped to his feet by Sam.

"Screw that. I'm going stir crazy in here." Sam cleared his throat, smiling at the doctor apologetically at Dean's attitude. It had been four days and Dean couldn't wait to get out of this sterile place.

"Come back if you start to feel any worse or if- "Dean nodded irritably, holding his hand up.

"Yeah, yeah. Sam, you're practically carrying me, I'm not an invalid." They were heading out the door with Mary close behind.

"You're acting like one, jerk." Sam huffed, not easing his grip.

"Bitch." Dean muttered, trying to hide the corners of his mouth twitching.

In the impala Dean reluctantly agreed to sit with Sam in the backseat. He felt uncomfortable not being the one behind the wheel. Mary cleared her throat as she drove, looking at them through the rearview mirror.

"So, I guess you're not exactly going to be heartbroken about this. I've decided it's for the best to sell the apartment. We should have a house, maybe not even in this city. I think we've had enough drama for a while." Dean looked at his brother with a growing smile.

"Finally. Where are we moving to mom?" Sam sat up straighter in eager interest. She smiled at them before quirking a brow.

"Who knows. Somewhere new." Dean liked the sound of that. The impala sped up, the road ahead putting space between them and the things that would always know how to keep up. For now, they were fading in the distance.


End file.
